Iza Calzado to donate blood for possible treatment for COVID-19 patients

After surviving the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Iza Calzado plans to donate blood to help in possibly treating other patients still fighting the disease.

In an interview on Laging Handa press briefing, the actress said the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and Makati Medical Center have reached out to her to ask for blood donations.

"The minute I got out, PGH and Makati Med both reached out to me, meron din parang blood or plasma drive ngayon na kayo po ay COVID survivor kapag magaling na po kayo," she said.

Although she has already tested negative, Iza said she plans to further recover before donating her blood to help COVID-19 patients.

"Katulad ko po nagpapagaling pa pwede nating i-donate ang plasma natin para makatulong tayo lalo na sa mga kababayan natin na in critical condition," she said.

Iza said she hopes to be able to donate blood by next week.

It was revealed on March 28 that Iza tested positive for COVID-19. Days later, she was declared free from the virus after fighting a lung infection.

PGH has called on COVID-19 survivors to donate blood to patients in critical condition in an attempt to treat severe cases with convalescent plasma transfusion.

This has been reportedly used in Wuhan City, China, the epicenter of COVID-19, to heal patients in severe condition.

In a report on 24 Oras, PGH spokesman Dr. Jonas Del Rosario explained that patients who survived the disease have formed antibodies in their blood.

According to the Center for Disease Control, antibodies are proteins produced by the body to neturalize or destroy toxins or disease-carrying organisms.

As of Tuesday, the COVID-19 cases in the Philippines climbed to 3,764 with 177 deaths and 84 recoveries, according to the Department of Health.

—Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/JCB, GMA News