To date, blood plasma has been donated to the Center in Racibórz by 31 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. Among them is Mirosław Szymura, a miner from the Pniówek mine who has undergone a coronavirus infection and is now donating blood plasma. - I have always been aware that many people need blood, but now it turns out that plasma is even more useful. I am happy that I can help others, and it doesn't cost me anything - says Mirosław Szymura.
Other employees of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa also donate their blood and plasma. - I donate blood every eight weeks. Every time I do it, I feel better, and I can live with the awareness that I may help someone. Because you never really know who will end up needing it – it may be you or a member of your family. Which is why I think it’s worth sharing blood with others - believes Łukasz Zając from the Jastrzębie-Bzie mine.
The number of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa miners who have recovered from COVID-19 is increasing. The vast majority of coronavirus infections among miners is asymptomatic.
- Miners are the most thoroughly tested professional group. They are also a professional group with a high percentage of blood donors. The hate wave targeted at coalminers that has flooded the Internet since reports of the number of infected miners first appeared in the public space is a regrettable phenomenon. I suggest that all those haters follow the example of miners. They don’t hate. They save lives - says Włodzimierz Hereźniak, President of the Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa Management Board.
The plasma collected from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 is administered to people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is obtained from the blood of patients who have undergone a coronavirus infection and produced enough antibodies in their immune system to fight the disease effectively. Any person who has recovered from COVID-19 and has had a double negative test for coronavirus two weeks after the previous negative test is welcome to visit the Regional Blood Donation and Treatment Center in Racibórz. The donor is first subjected to a preselection process and then a specific date for the appointment is agreed on.
- During the appointment, the consultation with the physician is very detailed. Importantly, the donor must be in good health, cannot be taking any medications, cannot be suffering from any thyroid problems and cannot have undergone a blood transfusion. Moreover, he or she is required to inform the physician about any coexisting diseases and past operations - explains Beata Wysoczańska-Skroban, Head of the Donor and Collection Division.
Poland is still in a state of pandemic, which is why hospitals are doing their best to keep blood plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 continuously available. Plasma from such donors is collected at three equal intervals: 600 milliliters each week. A single blood collection procedure lasts less than an hour.
- We really need blood plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19. On one occasion, I even received a phone call from a medical center that urgently needed plasma to save the life of a thirteen-year-old - says Gizela Kowol, Director of the Regional Blood Donation and Treatment Center in Racibórz. - For many patients, all hope is now in miners, against whom a hate wave has swept the country, and yet they are sharing their blood and plasma with others. I want to thank all our generous donors who have already shared their plasma and I encourage more people who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate their plasma. Please don’t be afraid to do so. We are observing all procedures related to safety and health and we will not infect anyone here - adds Gizela Kowol.
Doctors and employees of the Regional Blood Donation and Treatment Center in Racibórz confirm that miners are the professional group that is most willing to donate blood. - Miners, despite their hard work, enjoy very good health, and their blood parameters are ideal for sharing their blood with others. It should come as no surprise that miners make up the largest community that supplies all of Silesia with blood. A large portion of individuals who have recovered from the coronavirus infection and who have shown up at our center are our regular donors. They have often donated plasma before, so for them the whole procedure is nothing new - says Hiacynta Kwiatkowska, a physician at the Regional Blood Donation and Treatment Center in Racibórz.
To date, 1,303 cases of recovery from COVID-19 have been confirmed at Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa. Blood plasma may be donated at the Regional Blood Donation and Treatment Center in Racibórz following a preselection process and the setting up of an appointment. The Center’s contact details are as follows:
Telephone: 32 415 20 88, ext. 2
Regional Blood Donation and Treatment
Center in Racibórz
ul. Sienkiewicza 3A
