FARMINGTON, Conn. — Maria Budzinski, a surgical unit nurse at UConn Health Center found herself under the care of her hospital colleagues after coming down with COVID-19 last month.
Budzinski, 47, who has worked at UConn for the past year and a half, decided to be part of the hospitals plasma study, which is in partnership with the Mayo Clinic.
"Before I got the plasma treatment, I couldn't even make small movements in my arms or legs," Budzinski said.
She credits the plasma treatments with her full recovery.
The treatment uses antibodies from people who have successfully recovered from COVID-19.
Convalescent plasma is harvested from a donor’s blood stream and infused into a recipient with a matching blood type to help develop an immunity.
"It's like night and day," said Budzinski, who spent four days in the hospital.
Plasma treatment is nothing new nor should it be perceived as a magic bullet, but, for some patients, the treatments seem to be able to combat the onslaught of COVID-19.
Dr. Lisa Chirch, an infectious disease doctor at UConn Health said, "we have seen when people are treated very early on they tend to do very well."
Dr. Mauricio Montezuma, also in the Infectious Disease Department at UConn Health.
He added, "we have seen very quick responses in some patients, some inflammatory markers go down and fever goes down."
Budzinski, who returned to her job on the COVID unit this past weekend said she plans to become a plasma donor herself.
"I'm as strong as I was before," she said.