Bridgeport coronavirus survivor donates plasma to help find treatment for COVID-19

CHICAGO (WLS) -- After coming back from his honeymoon in Europe in February, Bridgeport resident Morgan McMeel got sick and later tested positive for the coronavirus.

"At that time, that's right when Italy was really blowing up as far as the disease was concerned," he said.

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Morgan was lucky; his symptoms were mild and he fully recovered within days.

A month later, he learned about clinical trials, like the one at University of Chicago Medicine, taking plasma donations from people who have recovered from COVID-19 to help hospitalized patients. Thursday he donated his blood to help the cause, one of the first donors of the trial.

"It doesn't matter if I am the first or the last or whatever. It just felt really good to be out there doing something because I think a lot of people like me, just feel really helpless and it's like what can I do about this?" McMeel said.

The University of Chicago said one plasma donation can be used for multiple recipients.

"One person can make that much of a difference and that's just the way I felt," said McMeel. "Maybe my sample is no good and they don't use it, but in the off chance that is it and it helps that one person, then isn't that what this is all about?"

The University of Chicago Medicine's trial stared earlier this week. If it works, it could pave the way for more advanced studies.