If you are a man who has suffered COVID-19, help the NHS in their search for treatments
“Your NHS needs you” is the urgent appeal of health chiefs, calling on all who have recovered after positive COVID-19 tests – particularly men – to donate toward crucial COVID treatments. The NHS is collecting blood
plasma for use in medical research to find COVID-19 treatments. Plasma’s vital neutralising antibodies could be used to treat patients who are struggling to develop
their own immune response.
NHS CHIEFS’ clarion call to arms is sharp as a needle … “We want as many people as possible to donate plasma”.
Dr Gail Miflin, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Blood and Transplant, said:
“Convalescent plasma is a precious resource and the whole world is now focusing on early treatment, before organ damage and hospitalisation.
Plasma could particularly help the most vulnerable people, such as the elderly or those with weakened immune systems who do not respond well to vaccines. This includes more than a million people with blood cancers, organ transplants, chronic diseases and more.
To be ready for the future, the time to collect is now.”
WHAT IS PLASMA?
A yellowish liquid that makes up about half our blood volume, plasma contains antibodies that help fight infection after a virus. Donated plasma is now being stored for further planned clinical studies.
WHO CAN DONATE?
NHS Blood and Transplant are asking anybody that has had a positive COVID-19 test result to donate plasma. We would particularly like to hear from men as we know they are most likely to have high levels of antibodies in their blood plasma.
HOW TO DONATE
Search “donate plasma” or visit nhsbt.nhs.uk to complete an online form. You will be contacted – the timing will depend on your recovery date and if you are in a group shown to have higher antibody levels – before being asked to give an initial blood sample.
If antibody levels are high enough, you will be invited back to donate plasma at a donation centre near you.
The procedure takes an average of 45 minutes and the whole visit should last about 1 hour 15 minutes.
HOW SAFE IS IT?
Plasma donation is safe and easy. Plasma is separated out, and the blood returned to you.
Your body replaces plasma and antibodies within 24-48 hours and you can donate as often as every fortnight.
A serial thief faces jail after leaving his blood-smeared fingerprints on the walls of a club after breaking into it for a second time.
Karl Hogg served 18 weeks after breaking into Houghton Comrades Club and Houghton Snooker Club in December 2018.
The prolific crook left a screwdriver at the scene, covered in his DNA – and that saw officers secure his conviction in January 2019.
But the shameless 32-year-old, of Sunderland Street, Houghton, now faces a significant term behind bars after raiding the Comrades Club again on New Year’s Day this year.
Hogg – who once snatched a Poppy Appeal box during one raid – once again left a string of clues behind for grateful detectives to follow – including his blood-stained fingerprints on a door handle and walls.
He refused to cooperate in interview, but admitted burglary before magistrates in Newcastle and now faces going before a Newcastle Crown Court judge on March 8, to be sentenced.
Detective Sergeant Chris Raper-Smith, who leads the Southern Burglary Team based at Southwick Police Station, said: “Karl Hogg is a serial burglar who has brought absolute misery to communities across Wearside.
“He has shown a constant disregard for the law and his victims, committing crime after crime for purely selfish
gain without giving a second’s thought to those whose livelihoods he harms.
“I would like to thank the communities of Houghton and beyond for their ongoing support and cooperation, and sincerely hope Hogg’s conviction brings them some comfort.
“There is no place for offending such as this and we will continue to do all we can to put people like Hogg before the courts.”
The burglary of the Comrades Club was one of a spate
of commercial break-ins reported in the Houghton, Washington and Shiney Row areas last month and investigations are ongoing.
Two other men, aged 25 and 20, have been arrested on suspicion of burglary and remain under investigation.
Anyone who sees anything suspicious is asked to contact Northumbria Police via the Tell Us Something page its website or by calling 101.
If a crime is happening or in an emergency, ring 999.