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He Had COVID-19. Now His Blood Plasma is Helping Other Patients.
April 21, 2020
In the beginning of March, as the coronavirus bore down on the state, the Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation (CESI) at Hartford Hospital was busy planning drive-through COVID-19 testing at the hospital.
Chris Madison, a CESI programmer, saw colleagues shifting roles to staff the drive-through and provide fit-testing for N95 masks. Days later, he started feeling the same symptoms he had earlier in January when he had the flu – fever, chills, cough and muscle fatigue.
Within three days, Chris felt better, and was tested to rule out COVID-19 as the cause of his illness. Instead, the results were positive. Chris quarantined for two weeks, recuperated and is back to work, primarily working from home these days.
Chris is a third-generation Hartford Hospital employee. His grandparents worked at Hartford Hospital and now volunteer. Chris’ mother is an ICU nurse and his father is the administrative director of the transplant program. As he recuperated, Sue Donahue, a friend and nurse at Hartford Hospital, told Chris about a new convalescent plasma donation program.
After identifying suitable donors, Hartford HealthCare has started scheduling donations of plasma from people who recovered from COVID-19 to treat those who are still critically ill with the virus.
The plan, announced by Dr. Ajay Kumar, Hartford HealthCare’s chief clinical officer, follows national efforts by the Food and Drug Administration and a consortium of 50 hospitals and universities called the National COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Project.
The donated plasma is rich with antibodies created by the body’s robust immune response to the virus. These antibodies are believed to help others fight COVID-19. Similar work was done during the SARS and Ebola outbreaks.
“We fully expect to see more efficacy data (on this treatment) as time goes on,” Dr. Kumar said. “As of today, I believe this is our best treatment option.”
On April 15, Chris became Hartford HealthCare’s first patient to donate plasma to treat COVID-19 patients. He donated at the Rhode Island Blood Center facility in Westerly, R.I., which is currently the closest location doing this work. It is expected that the American Red Cross in Farmington will start performing the procedure in the coming days.
Convalescent plasma donation is similar to a typical blood donation. Blood drawn from the arm is sent through a machine that collects plasma before returning red cells and platelets. It takes only a few minutes longer than a standard blood donation. For Chris, the procedure took just over an hour.
To be eligible, it must be 28 days since a person’s COVID-19 symptoms have subsided, or a test yields a negative result after 14 days. In Chris’ case, he met the criteria, made a phone call to express interest, answered some screening questions and provided a copy of his test results.
Getting to the Rhode Island Blood Center in Westerly was no problem.
“The National Guard checkpoint was past the area of the exit, so I didn’t have to deal with that,” Chris said. “It was an easy commute and not a bad drive.”
The morning of his donation, Chris received a phone call that he will remember for a long time.
“Bimal (Patel, President of Hartford HealthCare’s Hartford Region) called me to show his support and thank me,” he said. “It really meant a lot and showed how everyone has been really supportive and helping me through this process.”
“Chris is a true healthcare hero,” Patel said. “Making a donation truly demonstrates his compassion and empathy for others who are fighting this terrible virus like he did. I am so grateful for his generosity and that he’s on the mend.”
After the donation, Chris felt well, with no side effects from the procedure. He is eager to donate again when eligible, perhaps as soon as four weeks from now. Four patients have received plasma therapy, thanks to Chris’ donation. Madison has a message for those like him, who have tested positive for COVID-19 and recovered.
“I would really recommend it to anyone who meets the criteria,” he says. “I encourage anyone who has recovered to consider donating and call the help line.”
He also has messages of encouragement to his thousands of colleagues at Hartford HealthCare.
“Thank you to all of our staff and healthcare workers throughout the state who are on the front lines,” he said. “They are the real heroes here. I am just happy that I could help in any small way.”
For more information about convalescent plasma donation, click here.
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