The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Blood donors tested for COVID-19 antibodies
All intown neighborhoods can follow along for the latest news on Twitter: @atlnewsnow Collaborator promises to keep mural ‘looking good long as I can.’
LifeSouth Community Blood Centers has begun testing all eligible donors for COVID-19 antibodies. The antibody test is authorized for use by the FDA and detects if someone has developed antibodies. A positive test result may indicate past exposure and some immunity to the virus. This antibody test is not a diagnostic test and will not determine if the person currently has the virus.
LifeSouth encourages donors to make an appointment to donate over the coming weeks.
Plasma donated from recovered COVID-19 patients, or those who had the virus but were asymptomatic, can be a critical tool to help patients. LifeSouth has been testing potential convalescent plasma donors for COVID-19 antibodies since April, and hopes by testing all blood donors, more will be willing to donate. Since the first convalescent donation in April, LifeSouth has collected convalescent plasma from donors across their footprint in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. These units have been transfused to critically ill patients in local hospitals served by the community blood center.
Right now, LifeSouth is experiencing a critical need for all blood types, and assures it is safe to give blood. All donor centers and bloodmobiles are enforcing social distancing between donors and implementing heightened sanitation protocols. LifeSouth donor centers are located at:
Atlanta Donor Center, 4891 Ashford Dunwoody, Atlanta, 404329-1994
McDonough Donor Center, Road 329 Westridge Parkway, McDonough, 678-432-0637
Gainesville Donor Center, 1200 McEver Road, Gainesville, 770538-0500
Donors must be at least 17 or 16 with parental permission, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and be in good health. A photo ID is also needed. Information: 888795-2707 or www.lifesouth.org
Chris Veal, one of the artists behind the Atlanta Beltline’s Baby Yoda mural, took to Instagram on Monday to remember his friend who helped create the piece.
Nelson “Nels” Guzman died earlier this month, and street art tributes have emerged to honor him.
Veal is doing his part to remember his collaborator, who he said is one of his best friends.
Veal said on Instagram May 25 that “While I know it won’t last forever Imma keep your piece looking good long as I can. All your other work too. What I would want.”
The accompanying image shows a before and after of the mural, which Veal had cleaned up and added, “Rest In Paint.” Veal said in the caption that the Baby Yoda artwork was “My last wall with @grafilthy_art.”
Veal spent five hours with Guzman on New Year’s Day painting their versions of the character deemed by “The Mandalorian” fans as “Baby Yoda.”
Veal told the AJC in January of the Beltline mural that he hopes “people enjoy the work.” The piece shows one Baby Yoda staring off and another munching on the letters of Guzman’s name, Nels G.
In an email to the AJC, Veal shared how he met Guzman, instantly clicking before beginning to paint together.
“I met Nelson when he was working at Sam Flax art store here in Atlanta and immediately liked him,” he said. “We started painting together shortly after. Under bridges, in abandon(ed) buildings and commissions jobs.”
Veal said Guzman would split his time between Atlanta and Los Angeles, flying back and forth to paint every couple of months.
“Many people knew him as the guy that did the cancer memorial pieces at (the) Kroger tunnel in honor of his sister,” Veal said. “Or the guy that drove a truck with prob around 6 or 700 cans of spray paint in the back, but outside of all that he was also one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. Acaring guy that stood up for what he believed in and looked after peopleclose to him. Atlanta really lost a great guy.”
Guzman’s family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to support the late artist’s nieces, whom Veal said Guzman adopted after the death of his sister, and his parents.