Local firefighter donates plasma after recovering from COVID-19

A North Collier Fire Control firefighter hopes his plasma will help others also beat the virus.

SECOND-DEGREE MURDER.A LOCAL FIREFIGHTER IS ANSWERINGA LOCAL HOSPITAL’S PLEA FCONVALESCENT PLASMA DONATIONS.WE’VE BEEN REPORTING LOCALHOSPITALS ARE IN URGENT NEED FORPLASMA FROM PEOPLE WHO’VERECOVERED FROM COVID-19.THAT PLASMA IS USED TO TREATCRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS AS PARTOF A CLINICAL TRIAL.FOX 4’S SANDRA RODRIGUEZ JOINSUS FROM N-C-H COMMUNITY BLOODCENTER WHERE THE DONATIONHAPPENED TODAY.0:32 - 0:391:13 - 1:17LL INTRO:THAT FIREFIGHTER’S NAME IS ISACGAITAN HE TELLS ME AFTERRECOVERING FROM COVID-19 HEWANTED TO DO SOMETHING TO HELPOTHERS ALSO BEAT THIS VIRUS NOWHE HOPES HIS DONATIONCONVALESCENT PLASMA WILL INSPIOTHERS TO ALSO DONATE ANDPOTENTIALLY SAVE SOMEONE’S LIFESEATED AND READY TO GO*NATS*ISAC GAITAN━ A FIREFIGHTER ANDPARAMEDIC WITH NORTH COLLIFIRE CONTROL -- BEGAN THE 20MINUTE PROCESS OF DONATINGCONVALESCENT PLASMA AT NCH(Isac Gaitan, firefighter &Paramedic, North Collier FireControl and Rescue District):"I had a slight cough and thenonce I couldn’t smell or tasteis when I decided to go gettested."GAITAN TESTED POSITIVE FORCOVID-19 EARLY LAST MONTHNOW FULLY RECOVERED━ GAITANSAYS HE DOESN’T KNOW WHERE HECONTRACTED THE VIRUS(Isac Gaitan, firefighter &Paramedic, North Collier FireControl and Rescue District):"It was like a common cold forme, If I would have been worse Iwould have wanted someone todonate to help me."NOW HE’S TURNING THAT NEGATIVEEXPERIENCE INTO SOMETHINGPOSITIVE(Isac Gaitan, firefighter &Paramedic, North Collier FireControl and Rescue District):"Our department is very tightwith the community around usThis is also one of those timeswhere we have our community’sback and we’re here for them."AND TO SHOW THAT SUPPORT --SEVERAL CHIEF FROM THEDEPARTMENT ALSO MADE BLOODDONATIONS...(Jorge Aguilera, Asst.

Chief ofEMS & Training, North CollierFire Control and RescueDistrict):"We’re a profession that worksin groups and teams, he comesand donates plasma, we’re goingto donate blood."CHIEF AGUILERA SAYS THEDEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLYMONITORING OTHER FIREFIGHTERSTHE DEPARTMENT RECENTLY STARTEDDOING THEIR OWN COVID-19 ANDANTIBODIES TESTING(Jorge Aguilera, Asst.

Chief ofEMS & Training, North CollierFire Control and RescueDistrict):"On an every three-week bases,we are testing our personal."AGUILERA SAYS THEY STARTED THEIRFIRST ROUND OF TESTING ABOUT AWEEK AGO AND ARE WAITING FORTHE RESULTS(Jorge Aguilera, Asst.

Chief ofEMS & Training, North CollierFire Control and RescueDistrict):"If they show the antibody,we’re going to encourage them tocome and do their plasmadonations."LL TAG:HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY THE BESTTIME TO DONATE IS AF