Politics NY: New York’s Source for Government & Political NewsPolitics NY: New York’s Source for Government & Political News
  • Contact Us
  • Power Lists
  • Inside Government
  • Election Primer
  • Debates & Forums
  • Regions
    • Queens
    • Brooklyn
    • The Bronx
    • Manhattan
    • Staten Island
  • Videos
    • In the Community With
    • Election Debates
    • Power Players
  • Opinion
  • Policy
    • Transportation
    • Education
    • Police & Safety
    • Real Estate & Housing
    • Business & Economics
    • Health
    • Immigration
  • Judicial
  • Jobs
  • Our Network
    • amNY
    • Bronx Times
    • Brooklyn Paper
    • Caribbean Life
    • Dan’s Papers
    • Gay City News
    • Long Island Press
    • Metro
    • Noticia
    • QNS
Politics NY: New York’s Source for Government & Political NewsPolitics NY: New York’s Source for Government & Political News
  • Contact Us
  • Power Lists
  • Inside Government
  • Election Primer
  • Debates & Forums
  • Regions
    • Queens
    • Brooklyn
    • The Bronx
    • Manhattan
    • Staten Island
  • Videos
    • In the Community With
    • Election Debates
    • Power Players
  • Opinion
  • Policy
    • Transportation
    • Education
    • Police & Safety
    • Real Estate & Housing
    • Business & Economics
    • Health
    • Immigration
  • Judicial
  • Jobs
  • Our Network
    • amNY
    • Bronx Times
    • Brooklyn Paper
    • Caribbean Life
    • Dan’s Papers
    • Gay City News
    • Long Island Press
    • Metro
    • Noticia
    • QNS
Politics NY: New York’s Source for Government & Political NewsPolitics NY: New York’s Source for Government & Political News
  • Regions
  • Queens
  • Brooklyn
  • The Bronx
  • Manhattan
  • Staten Island
  • Videos
  • In the Community With
  • Election Debates
  • Power Players
  • Policy
  • Transportation
  • Education
  • Police & Safety
  • Real Estate & Housing
  • Business & Economics
  • Health
  • Immigration
  • Our Network
  • amNY
  • Bronx Times
  • Brooklyn Paper
  • Caribbean Life
  • Dan’s Papers
  •  
  • Gay City News
  • Long Island Press
  • Metro
  • Noticia
  • QNS
  • Contact Us
  • Power Lists
  • Inside Government
  • Election Primer
  • Debates & Forums
  • Opinion
  • Judicial
  • Jobs
Brooklyn

NY Blood Center, Industry City Seeks Recovered COVID-19 Patients for Antibodies Blood

By Petra Kelly-Voicu Posted on August 12, 2020
Blood Donors Making Donation In Hospital
Blood Donors Making Donation In Hospital

The New York Blood Center (NYBC) is organizing a blood drive on August 17 at Brooklyn’s Industry City, with the goal of using convalescent plasma to fight the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the country. 

 Convalescent plasma is the blood plasma of people who have recovered from COVID-19, which contains the antibodies that the donor’s body created to fight the disease. This can significantly aid in the recovery of recipients. 

Although this type of treatment has been used in pandemics dating back a hundred years, NYBC was the first to create a public bank of COVID-19 convalescent plasma in March, through its work with Mount Sinai Health System of New York. 

“We researched to see how patients can be treated with COVID-19”, says Javier Jimenez, an account manager at NYBC. “We saw that convalescent plasma helped with Ebola. We saw that for COVID-19, it helped patients recover a lot sooner.”

To date, NYBC has already supplied 40,000 units of blood plasma to hospitals across the country.

However, the pandemic has made it difficult to organize blood drives, because of the social distancing requirements in place. 

“It is not easy trying to find a space that is sizeable,” says Jimenez. “With the COVID shut down, the number of blood drives has been greatly reduced.” 

Close

Know What Matters

News, events, culture and more — delivered to you.
Thank you for subscribing!

To ensure the health and safety of all participants on the August 17th blood drive, NYBC will enforce mandatory face coverings, wipe down all surfaces, and ensure that computers and all stations are spaced out sufficiently. 

Participants will have their temperature taken before walking into the facility, and will be asked about their recent travel history. Refreshments will be provided but will be prepackaged in order to avoid contamination.

In order to participate in the blood drive, donors will need to have had no positive COVID-19 test within the past two weeks, and be symptom-free for 14 days. Although NYBC itself will not test for COVID-19, it will test the donated plasma for antibodies.

NYBC encourages those who have recovered from COVID-19 to consider donating. The blood drive is slated for 10 a.m. – 4 np.m., Monday, Aug. 17 at The Factory Floor at Industry City 233 37th Street in Sunset Park.

About the Author

Petra Kelly-Voicu

Petra Kelly-Voicu is a former environmental science researcher based in New York City. She is also passionate about anthropology, indigenous American cultures, and travel.

More in Brooklyn

  • DSCF1784Council member calls for revocation of parking placards as study shows rampant illegal parking in Brooklyn
  • kids at table at brooklyn children's museumCity Council grant to fund free field trips to Brooklyn Children’s Museum for Title I schools
  • District-47_1200x800_20251003_sc_opYour Vote 2025: District 47: Contenders talk transportation
  • rally for security guard protections‘Protect the protectors’: Hundreds rally in support of new regulations to protect security guards

Jobs in New York

Add your job

  • Latham & Watkins LLPAttorney, Corporate
  • Taiga RestauranWaiters, Dishwashers, Kitchen Assistant
  • L.SalzmanCleaning Person

View all jobs…

Sign up for our daily insider news roundup

Subscribe

More from Around New York

murder
Bronx Times

Rapes still rising in the Bronx, murders and burglaries plummet in September 2025

Councilmember Erik Bottcher speaks at a Sept. 30 rally against the Trump administration's anti-trans funding cuts.
Gay City News

Denouncing Trump, Bottcher explores bid for Congress in race to replace Nadler

A 16-year-old boy was shot in Hollis Hills on Tuesday, Oct. 7, and the suspected gunman remains at large.
QNS

Search continues for gunman who shot teenager in Hollis Hills: NYPD

police at scene of shooting in Brooklyn
Brooklyn Paper

Shootings, rape rose across Brooklyn in September, stats show, though overall crime dipped

  • Contact Us
  • Networking Events
  • Podcasts
  • © 2025 Political Edge LLC
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Sections
  • Jobs
  • Power Lists
  • Videos
  • Contact