A couple weeks ago, we told you about how the Central California Blood Center is collecting plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients. Since then, a number of people have stepped forward to donate, including Benfie Liu.
Liu is 29 years old and a medical resident at Kaweah Delta Medical Center in Visalia. She works in emergency medicine, but she never expected to encounter a pandemic, let alone get the virus.
“You know, I was a patient, I was scared,” said Liu. “I’m a medical professional, and I knew that I was doing fine, but there’s always that little birdy in your head, like, ‘Oh my God, I got COVID!’”
It took her more than a week to recover. Liu said she felt useless during her quarantine and started thinking about ways to give back. So, she donated plasma, which can be used to help severely ill patients recover more quickly from the coronavirus.
“I think they’re testing my plasma right now, and you know, if they find I have a lot of antibodies, I would love to donate again,” said Liu.
Working in a hospital, Liu knows the importance of having a steady supply of blood products. So she hopes others will donate as well.
