A Vilnius resident with COVID-19 has found a way to help the seriously ill: this treatment can save lives

At one of the choir’s rehearsals, Tom became infected with the COVID-19 virus and spent 7 weeks in isolation with his family. Fortunately, the symptoms caused by the virus did not bother me much, so T. Kreimer used the time in self-isolation to strengthen family ties.

During his stay at home, Tom and the showgirls decided that as soon as he recovered, he would become an immune plasma donor. This is what happened in early October.

“When we were sick, we talked about the donation of immune plasma and we agreed that we would implement it as soon as we recovered. It all happened naturally. I would suggest to go and donate because that way we help people who have a severe form of the virus. And who knows here, maybe we will save lives “, motivates T. Kreimer.

Today, the man feels healthy without side effects of the virus and donates immune blood plasma every two weeks.

The appearance of the virus

Tom, like other people from the choral world, sings in various bands, and the nausea that one day does not promise an encounter with the COVID-19 virus.

“The feeling was like I was intoxicated by food, nausea, the temperature had risen to 37.5 ° C. It lasted all day and I thought the next one would be fine. But the same on the second day. Then the suspicion arose that something was wrong here. And on the same day, a showgirl reported that her test was positive. So my wife and I, who also sang with me in the same choir, ran to the test and got positive results ”, T. Kreimer recalls the beginning of the virus infection.

“Apparently in one of the trials we shared the virus, because practically everyone, like 18 people, got sick,” Tom recalls. “But until we found out that our show partner had been confirmed to have the COVID-19 virus, it had been 4 days since our last contact. And during those 4 days, there was a Herbal Weekend, at that time I had to go to the garden with my mother and we visited some other friends with my family. My mother got sick too, ”says T. Kreimer of not-so-fun sharing.

The symptoms are quite mild.

Although I had to deal with the virus, the head of the family, T. Kreimer, is glad that only the first few days were more severe and the relatives managed to avoid more serious symptoms or complications.
“It’s a somewhat disconcerting loss of smell and taste. You eat food and everything is the same, be it sweet or savory dishes, it is no different. The most difficult were those 4-5 days in which both the temperature rose and the nausea, and then, thank God, those symptoms disappeared. Handcuffs in those days and broken bones were an extremely unpleasant feeling. Only the disappearance of smell and taste lasted; I didn’t feel it for about two weeks, ”recalls Tomas.

“It just came to our notice then. He took the test two weeks later and received two consecutive tests with negative responses. He was already in self-isolation for the third week and I even said to him: don’t hope, it won’t be that soon. Thank goodness that she’s healthy now, “said Tom.

The hardest first weeks of self-isolation

Being locked up at home for seven weeks can be a challenge for many. However, the family of showgirl T. Kreimer, used to isolation, used this time for fun activities at home.

“The first thought is a wonderful family time. But actually, it wasn’t that simple and good, but somehow we got along well. The first weeks were much harder, but from the third to the fourth week we entered the rhythm of self-isolation, we came up with activities that were specifically to be at home, like playing with the children, of course, ”says the head of the family and Dad Tom.

“The hardest part was probably that we couldn’t get out because it was still the end of summer at the time and it was a beautiful September, the mushrooms were growing in the forest, I wanted to experience it all. We don’t feel any symptoms like we and my wife have passed away, we feel healthy and we just can’t do it. This was difficult not only for us, but also for our youngest. I really wanted to go out, but we said there are also activities at home: toys, games, cooking with us, ”said Tom.

During self-isolation, T. Kreimer and his choir partners had a beautiful idea: donate immune plasma.

Donating blood is one of the human duties

T. Kreimer, who has been donating blood regularly for 4-5 years, has accepted the idea of ​​administering immune plasma as natural.

“I don’t see a big event here. In my opinion, this is normal and one of the human responsibilities is to help those who need it most. While we were tired of the showgirls, we discussed that there is the donation of immune plasma and we agreed that the we will implement as soon as we recover. It all happened naturally, “says Tom about the decision to become an immune plasma donor.

As soon as he recovered from the COVID-19 virus at the beginning of October, T. Kreimer kept his promise and applied to the Blood Center of the Vilnius Santara Clinics for the donation of immune plasma. And for those who are considering what to do, he advises: do not hesitate and donate.

“I turned to the Blood Center. And then they sent me to fill out a 7-question quiz. My wife was still sick with COVID-19 and the last question was whether any of her loved ones had the virus. So I had to wait until my wife recovered. Then I reapplied and then successfully ”, recalls Tomas.

“I would definitely suggest to go and donate, because that way we help people who are very hard, who have a severe form of the virus. And who knows here, maybe we will save lives, “he said.

Simple procedure

Immune plasma can be donated every two weeks, and a first appointment with a family doctor and a blood donation procedure lasting up to an hour is expected upon arrival for the procedure.

“What I liked the most was meeting the doctor first. She explains the process in detail, asks about the course of my own virus, and answers any questions I may have. And the procedure itself is completely painless, just like regular blood donation. It only takes a little longer because blood drawn from a vein is processed through such a device and the immune plasma is separated into a separate bag. After the administration of immune plasma, the blood with erythrocytes and other good blood properties returns to the body if the doctor has understood me correctly. I will go again in a couple of weeks, I am ready to continue doing it, I have no doubts about it, “said Tomas.

MEDICAL COMMENT

Head of the Blood Center of the Vilnius Santara Clinics, hematologist Lina Kryžauskaitė.

Immune blood plasma is a component of the blood rich in antibodies that help fight a specific infectious agent, in this case the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is suggested that immune blood plasma be used in patients whose immunity is really poor and who could not form an adequate response and clear the virus on their own, and the consequences of getting sick could be really very bad. If a person is infected and develops symptoms, has a more severe course of the disease, or has a poor immune status, possibly concomitant diseases, then their body cannot adapt to sudden exposure to the virus, produce antibodies, and human plasma immediately provides a portion of antibodies. fight the virus.

The administration of immune plasma is included in the COVID-19 regimen, which involves the use of means other than plasma, and it is currently difficult to clearly assess and identify the specific cause of improvement, but it has been observed that patients who receive plasma, the need for oxygen decreases, and some blood parameters also improve faster than those without. And I want to praise those people who, after suffering from this disease, begin to think of others; there are currently more than a hundred of you in Lithuania.

Each donation is evaluated to determine the development of sufficient antibodies; if so, only then are donors selected for regular immune plasma donations, which may take place every two weeks. Although normal donors can only donate blood every few months, this procedure is different, so it can be done more frequently: there is no loss of hemoglobin, only the liquid part is taken, and the apheresis method allows you to get more of the component blood required than usual, if you can donate blood. To take about 400 ml of blood and obtain about 200 ml of plasma from it, we can obtain about 750 ml during the apheresis procedure, which means that one donor can cover the immune plasma needs of one or two patients.

You can become an immune plasma donor 28 days after the onset of symptoms. The goal is to start collecting immune plasma as soon as possible until the antibody titer is higher, the donor should feel fine, not have symptoms. It is important that sufficient fluids are consumed before, during and after the procedure, and that the donor rests and feeds easily, as blood plasma can be fatty and inappropriate due to fatty foods.

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In response to the situation in the country, the Front Lines project team, together with the Young Doctors Association (JGA) and the Ugdanti komunikacija Creative Communication Projects Agency, invites everyone who has experienced the insidious disease COVID-19 to share their experiences with Delfi readers. and thus contribute to a change in attitudes towards the consequences of the COVID-19 disease – stigmatization, denial of this disease or reduction of its symptoms. We look forward to your stories and experiences by email [email protected].