Vitalant offering antibody testing in blood donations

Vitalant offering antibody testing in blood donations

Government for 36 years.

Starting this week if you give blood you could find out if you have had covid-19 because vitalant is testing all blood to see if you have the antibodies.news 1's cassie schirmwent to vitalant to learn more about this added teg and get tested herself.

Testing for antibodies across acadiana has been very scars but starting this week vitalant is able to attest for those antibodies through your blood donations giving you an extra chance to help other people out.giving blood already makes a difference "it saves a life every single time ."but now mitzi breaux with vitalant says with the new antibody testing you could help even more people.

"so what this is going to do is going to help us identify people who did have the coronavirus and did't even know they had it and we can use that plasma as a type of treatment for critical ill coronavirus patients.."but even if you do't have the antibodies breaux says because of this pandemic the're desperately needing blood donations.

"hospitals are rescheduling surgeries that were put on hold.

And people are also moving out round a lot more so more accidents and traumas are happening so the blood use increased literally overnight by over 25% and it has left us with an extremely critically low blood shortage it is absolutely imperative that every blood donor who can is eligible make it a priority to donate as soon as possible."a reason many came in today to help.

"it saves lives they need it."tha's why i decided to give blood today and test for antibodies myself.natsnothing is different in the process and you barely feel it.

And in two weeks 'll find out whether i have the antibodies or not giving donors a possibility to give even more.

"i want to pay it forward i want to help out so 'm grateful to be able to do it."cassiei's a quick five minutes to give blood to help save a life and also find out if you had the virus in lafayette and cassie schirm and news 15 to donate your ass to go to vitalant.org and schedule an appointment and test results for the antibodies take two weeks.

We will be checking back in with cassie in two weeks to