
Muslim Charities Launch Plasma Donation Drive to Help Fight COVID-19
01 Sep 2020While the coronavirus lockdowns in the UK are easing, the virus has not yet been defeated and scientists try to create a vaccine. Researchers believe that the antibodies in blood and plasma of those who contracted COVID-19 and recovered can hold the key. With this in mind, three Muslim-led charities launched a campaign to encourage Muslims to donate blood and plasma.
The drive was led by the #TurnToLove campaign, Muslim Doctors Association and the Imam Hussain Blood Donation Campaign who have partnered with several other similar campaigns and organisations.
“Whoever saves one life, it is as if he saved all of humanity…”
The campaign is grounded by the idea that “whoever saves one life, it is as if he saved all of humanity…” as told in the Holy Qur’an.
The organisations organising the blood donation drive explained that the severity of COVID-19 decreases by 80% when they get blood plasma with antibodies from COVID-19 survivors.
Thus, the campaign, which uses the #SaveLives #Donateplasma and #UnitedAgainstCovid tags, called on all those who tested positive for COVID-19 and tested positive for antibodies to donate plasma. It also called for men who had the symptoms to donate.
So far, the drive has been a great success. In the first 10 days of the month of Muharram, more than 15 mosques and Islamic centres participated in the drive.
Understandably, not everyone is eligible to donate plasma. The campaigns urged those who are not eligible – either because they did not have COVID-19 or they do not have antibodies – to donate blood instead and called on them to spread awareness of the campaign on social media.