Health Headlines - 7-29-20

In today's health headlines we talk about the desperate need for convalescent plasma donors from people that recovered from COVID-19.

Also, COVID-19 can cause heart problems even after recovery.

THERE'S A DESPERATE NEED FORCONVALESCENT PLASMA DONORS TOHELPCOVID-19 PATIENTS FIGHTING FORTHEIR LIVES.IN FACT... AT ONE CENTER INTEXAS... THE DEMAND IS FOURTIMES THE SUPPLY.AND AS ALLIE SPILLYARDSREPORTS... THEY'RE NOW ASKINGFOR HELP SOLVING THESHORTAGE.THEY'RE THE DESPERATE PLEASWE'VE HEARD SINCE MARCH.06"EVERY MORNING I GET UP, AND IHAVEN'T HAD A CALL FROM THEHOSPITAL AND I THANK GOD HE'SALIVEANOTHER DAY."NORTH TEXAS FAMILIES SEEKINGCONVALESCENT PLASMA DONATIONSFROM SOMEONE RECOVEREDFROM COVID-19 FOR A LOVED ONESTILL SUFFERING.IN THE MONTHS SINCE, WE'VEWITNESSED THE TRIUMPHS LIKE JOSEMARTINEZ...23"JOY... A LOT OF JOY ANDGRATEFULNESS..."MEETING THE MAN WHOSE ANTIBODIESHELPED SAVE HIS LIFE.BUT WITH HOSPITALIZATIONS NEARRECORD HIGHS, THERE'S SIMPLY NOTENOUGH.48"WE ARE DESPERATE FOR IT."KEONI HOLOMAN WITH CARTERBLOODCARE SAYS DFW HOSPITALSCURRENTLY NEED ABOUT 125 MOREUNITS EACH DAY THAN THEY CANPROVIDE."THE NEED IS FOUR TIMES WHAT ITORIGINALLY WAS WHEN WEORIGINALLY STARTED THECONVALESCENT PLASMA PROGRAM."THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THOSEELIGIBLE TO GIVE GROWS, SHE SAIDTHEY WORRY THOSE WHOWEREN'T HOSPITALIZED MAY NOTKNOW THEY'RE ELIGIBLE.PEOPLE LIKE MEGAN MICHELSON -1:13"I THOUGHT IT WAS A SINUSINFECTION."WHO ALMOST DIDN'T KNOW SHE'DBEEN POSITIVE UNTIL LINGERINGMIGRAINES PROMPTED AN ANTI-BODYTEST... PUTTING HER IN APOSITION TO HELP."FOR ME TO HAVE THAT EXPERIENCEAND FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO BE INTHE HOSPITAL OR ONVENTILATORS, I MEAN I AM JUST SOGRATEFUL AND SO THANKFUL THAT MYEXPERIENCE WASN'T THAT."AS CASES GROW, HOLOMAN SAYSTHEY'RE HAVING TO RELY ONOUTSIDE RESOURCES... SHIPPING INPLASMA FROM NEW YORK.

BUT THEYHOPE STORIES LIKE MICHELSON'S..."IT WASN'T PAINFUL."CAN CONVINCE MORE NORTH TEXANSTO HELP THEIR OWN."JUST GOING OUT OF MY WAY ALITTLE BIT COULD SAVE SOMEONE'SLIFE.

I DON'T FEEL QUALIFIED FORTHAT,BUT I'M GRATEFUL FOR THEEXPERIENCE."COVID-19 SURVIVORS MAYEXPERIENCE HEART ISSUES... EVENAFTER THEY'VE RECOVERED.TWO NEW STUDIES OUT OF GERMANYSUGGEST... PATIENTS MAYEXPERIENCEINFLAMMATION IN THE HEART.60 PERCENT OF PATIENTS IN THEFIRST STUDY HAD ONGOINGMYOCARDIALINFLAMMATION.THE OTHER STUDY EVALUATED THEAUTOPISIES OF CORONAVIRUSPATIENTS... AND FOUND... ABOUTHALF HAD CORONAVIRUS INSIDETHEIR HEART TISSUE.