Plasma For Sale (English Translation)

Rough English translation:

(Video courtesy of Teleradyo Cebu)
https://www.facebook.com/aveen.acunagulo/posts/10157845628692991?comment_id=10157846008082991&notif_id=1594361048100947&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif

[We will be discussing today] this cottage industry of plasma which is from blood taken from those who recovered from COVID19. It is believed to cure those who are infected with COVID 19. Let’s thresh this story.

Some weeks ago, the residents of Sitio Zapatera were puzzled why cars started coming to their place. There were not ordinary cars – but Mercedes Benzes, Jaguars, Lexus – these are mind-boggling cars that are said to cost millions. I have not been in any of these cars but they say that when you pass through a pothole, you’re just like in a hammock. You don’t feel the bump because it runs so smoothly.

The local police asked who owned these cars. Are they giving assistance to the residents of Sitio Zapatera? But the giving of assistance was already done. In fact these were released during the lockdown and those who were positive already recovered. They no longer hold the highest number of cases. Mambaling, Sambag I and Sambag II already overtook them. Why these cars? Why do they stop at the corner entering Sitio Zapatera?

After a few days they knew the real reason why. Those who were in the cars are members of families whose fathers, mothers, grands, or children are sick with COVID19. And these are super rich families who live in Maria Luisa, Sta Rica, Sto Nino, Paradise – luxurious subdivisions of Cebu City and even Mandaue City - nangabat (spooked) in Sitio Zapatera. Accordingly, those who got sick were already old, adults like (fathers, mothers, grands) who belong to the millionaire business families. Even if they are said to have long longevity but still they got sick.

Yes they got sick – but why go to Sitio Zapatera? They were looking for plasma. This is because of a patient who was known to have recovered after being transfused with plasma. It did not take that patient a long time to stay in the hospital, and was discharged early. The patient was even said to be diabetic and had a number of pre-existing conditions. Although after sometime after the patient was discharged, he died because of other causes, not COVID19. He came from dialysis, had a heart attack. Because of that, even if you check Facebook, many people were now looking for plasma. They were looking for donors.

Well-dressed patrons started streaming, riding their Lexus, Jaguars. Sitio Zapatera greeted their perfumed but masked visitors. They were looking for plasma. The residents may be bugoy-bugoy, but mga buotan. They asked what blood type. A+. O. The residents guided them where to find the recovered patients.  

At first the donors were asked how much they would want to be rewarded. To which they responded, “You don’t need to, Sir. It’s enough that we can be of help because we also got sick. It’s good that we are instrumental in saving your mother or your father grandpa grandma from COVID19 because we know how hard it is.” That was the initial conversation.

After one week or two, people were naming a price because many were coming asking for help looking for plasma. They were said to be told to go to Sitio Zapatera because there are so many positive cases there who have recovered. You can find a lot of people who want to donate plasma there. We were able to get many bags for our patient who in turn recovered. Through word of mouth, people came in droves to Sitio Zapatera and it became out of control. Cars took turns for parking spots in Barrio Luz looking for plasma donors. After a week or two there was already a price – p5,000. After a few days, p10,000. People will meet you asking if you are looking for plasma, p10,000. After several days, the price became p15,000. They’d tell you they got sick and had to spend p15,000.  After several days, p20,000.  Say, if a Mercedes Benz pulled up, people would be shouting where you can park – where plasma is available at p20,000 per bag. Are you looking for Type A?  That house over there has Type A. You Type O? That other house there. P20,000. Uniform price. Then it became p30,000. Last week (that’s the last price we got) p40,000. What can you do? The cars that go there are not ordinary. That’s why the residents were tempted to name a price which these patrons pay without question because their patients were already struggling. They were told by their doctors to try plasma.

Let’s try to understand what is this thing called convalescent plasma. This is an approach in treating COVID19 patients where they are given transfusions of plasma coming from patients who have recovered from COVID19. After recovering they were said to already have antibodies that can counter the COVID19 virus. And these antibodies can be found in plasma. You can donate plasma as often as – this is not like donating blood where you can donate again only after three months. With plasma, for as long as you have antibodies, you can always donate. This approach, this therapy towards COVID19 has yet to be proven to be effective. There was just some cases like one hospital here in Cebu City where patients recovered with plasma infusion. But the WHO and the DOH still have not confirmed it to be effective. Clinical trials are still ongoing in PGH in the nation’s capital and in other countries. In fact the Center for Disease Control in the US even said that if plasma is proven effective against COVID19, people in Barrio Luz will no longer make money because they (CDC) will just manufacture plasma in the laboratories. Because acdg to CDC, plasma can be made and duplicated in the laboratory. They can industrialize the manufacture of plasma. You there in Barrio Luz you can take advantage of this opportunity now because once plasma will be made in labs, you will no longer make money, including you who are positive of COVID19.

But this opportunistic tendencies – yesterday a close friend told me, the one who told me this cottage industry in Barrio Luz – you know how much was the price yesterday? Hold on to your seats: p80,000. I talked to someone from Barrio Luz and asked how true this is. He said yes that’s true. They call it Bungat-presyo (a price is quoted immediately once you set foot on barrio luz). The asking price is p80k in Sitio Zapatera and other parts of Barrio Luz where there is a high number of COVID19 victims.

And here’s where it gets evil: the residents of Barrio Luz – of course we know this. Even us in Consolacion know this, and even a friend of mine who lives in nearby Banilad – let us not just mention the subdivision – but the subdivision in Banilad where he lives – but he is a native of Mabolo. How much more for those in Bo Luz, who were not infected – even said that: if that’s the case, then, we will get ourselves infected with COVID so that we will have money. Imagine! Having oneself infected just to have money! Imagine having p80k for just a bag of plasma.

Now let me ask: which government agency is supposed to regulate this? I called the Regional Blood Center of the DOH when I learned about this because I want to interview them. They said they need to investigate first before they grant the interview. But they say there is a law that prohibits the sale of blood. The same law that abolished the commercial blood banks prohibits the sale of blood. Therefore it is against the law to sell plasma which is going on in Barrio Luz. So I asked the bgy officials of Bo Luz whom we will not name but he said he will look into it. Which is surprising inasmuch as he is from the barangay. He will grant the interview once he has the complete details. He said that even if there is a law prohibiting the commercialization of blood, no one will be charged because nobody will squeal. Those who bought will never divulge where they got it. You cannot also accuse the plasma donors of making money because there’s no receipt, no contract that they donated plasma. In fact we even have to be thankful to them for donating – even if they went with the patron in their luxurious cars and had themselves tested in the hospitals. After they were proven to have high count of antibodies, their blood was drawn and they were paid. But who will witness? Because the donor and the patron will not testify. This is just like vote buying where the vote buyer the vote seller will not squeal there’s nothing that COMELEC can do. It’s the same thing. They say that even if the DOH will investigate, even if they can prove that people are selling plasma in Sitio Zapatera and parts of Barrio Luz, no charges will be filed because nobody will squeal. No receipts. No evidence. Isn’t this evil. What the implication of this? First, people are having difficult times. Once they see an opportunity to make money, it’s fair game. No questions asked. Did I violate any law? Will my actions do good in general? Is it fair to think that how I recovered from covid19 is my capital to make money from others who are also sick? Instead of helping them I make money? Why would I feel guilty when the one who paid for my plasma is very rich? My house has only three posts, and their houses have many posts? Even their househelp have their own rooms and toilets. Whereas we have to go to our neighbors’ houses to relieve ourselves. Their guilt is reduced because of their poverty, extreme need and because there is an opportunity. They did not offer themselves at first. Although we cannot discount the possibility that in the coming days, they will offer themselves shouting “Plasma For Sale!” in barrio luz (what road is this in Barrio Luz – Archbishop Reyes?) Gov Cuenco starts in the flyover at TESDA. They will be putting up placards! Plasma For Sale Type A! Plasma for sale Type B. Plasma For Sale Type O.

Indeed such a pitiful state. But that’s how it is. Will that be shared among themselves? With the number of people who are impoverished, do we have to resort to this so that we can feed our families? Do we really expect our barangay officials to reprimand the practice? How can that happen when patrons will insist that they get plasma with the hope that their patients will be saved. Although we know this is not yet proven but there are already cases that showed how plasma improved their conditions of patients.

The need is legitimate. There is a need. Remember Sitio Zapatera was the COVID19 epicentre here in Cebu City. This is indeed a sad commentary of our times that literally we are already selling our blood so that we can feed our families. It is hoped that this p80k will indeed be spent for food for the family, for the children’s school needs and other needs. I am just concerned that because the money was acquired easily, it would also be very easy to squander it through gambling, drinking and other vices. This is a sad development, this emerging trade of selling plasma.

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