OBI Starts $1,000 Drawing For Those Who Donate Convalescent Plasma

The Oklahoma Blood Institute is launching a new incentive program to help fill their imminent need for convalescent plasma donations.

Starting Monday, when you donate convalescent plasma at the OBI, you will be entered to win in a twice-daily drawing for a $1,000 gift card. They say the need for this plasma has gone up by 700 percent in the past couple weeks, so they are desperate and want to start bringing in a heavy flow of donations.

Convalescent plasma is found in a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. During their fight with the virus, their system developed antibodies against the coronavirus. Those antibodies can be used in an injection form that’s given to a person with a severe case of COVID-19 who may be dying to help them start feeling better quickly.

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, the Oklahoma blood institute is giving you a chance to win $1,000 and help out those currently fighting coronavirus. Oklahoma Blood Institute’s Executive Director said it’s a lot of money to give away, but they will pay any price to keep people alive.

“We are drawing out those antibodies so when you give a super shot of covid19 antibody to someone dying or very ill it boosts their immune system with the COVID antibodies,” Laub said.

Laub said if the demand gets any higher, Oklahoma hospitals will have to go to other states to get the plasma, but Laub said they can’t count on other states having enough to share. Laub said it takes about an hour and a half start to finish to make the donation and you do need to wear a mask and get your temperature checked before you will be allowed in the building.

Tony Musser contracted COVID-19 in April so over the past several weeks he has been coming to the OBI to make convalescent plasma donations because he said he wants to help in any way he can.

“If after what I went through something good can come out of this then that’s exactly what I want to do,” Musser said.

He said he doesn’t need an incentive to donate besides knowing he is doing good, but it doesn’t hurt that his name will be in the drawings for some money.

If you can’t donate convalescent plasma, OBI said they still need a lot more blood donors as well to keep up with the high demand in hospitals right now.

If you would like to know more on how to donate, visit OBI.org.