Today's COVID-19 Briefing by the Governor

In his briefing today, Governor Andrew Cuomo shared that incomprehensible news that yesterday's death toll in New York exceeded the previous day's. Yesterday's was 799; the previous day's was 779. The comparison being made by everyone is that 2,753 New Yorkers died in the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. So far, the coronavirus has killed 7,067.

In addition to urging everyone to continue to stay at home and warning of a possibility of second wave of the infection, as is now being experienced in Wuhan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, Cuomo spoke about developing a treatment for the virus and the possibility that convalescent plasma could be used in that treatment.

Convalescent plasma comes from people who have had COVID-19 and have recovered from it and developed antibodies against it. There is a blood drive underway for people who have recovered from COVID-19. Although there are only thirty or so people in Columbia County who might qualify, those who do can learn more about it here: www.nybc.org/cpdonor. The nearest donor center is in Kingston.

Addendum 1: An article appeared yesterday in a publication from Johns Hopkins University about convalescent serum therapy to treat COVID-19: "A Promising COVID-19 Treatment Gets Fast Tracked." 

Addendum 2: The Register-Star reported on Friday, April 10, that Albany Medical Center has been approved to use convalescent blood plasma therapy to treat COVID-19 patients who are critically ill: "Albany Med testing experimental COVID-19 therapy." 
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