{"id":30623,"date":"2020-04-07T14:54:43","date_gmt":"2020-04-07T20:54:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=30623"},"modified":"2022-06-08T08:08:23","modified_gmt":"2022-06-08T14:08:23","slug":"critically-ill-evergreen-man-first-in-colorado-to-receive-convalescent-plasma-to-help-fight-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/critically-ill-evergreen-man-first-in-colorado-to-receive-convalescent-plasma-to-help-fight-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Critically ill Evergreen man first in Colorado to receive ‘convalescent plasma’ to help fight COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"\"
Dr. Michael Leonard is critically ill with COVID-19. His family and doctors hope that convalescent plasma containing antibodies to fight COVID-19 may help him survive. Photo courtesy of the Leonard family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the last text that Dr. Michael Leonard sent before COVID-19 attacked his body and forced him to go on a ventilator, he reassured his wife of 32 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m coming home,\u201d wrote Leonard, a 68-year-old anesthesiologist and businessman from Evergreen.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe promised me that,\u201d Meg Leonard said. \u201cI\u2019m just hanging on to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

And now, Michael\u2019s chances of coming home and keeping his promise look even better. He remains on a ventilator in the ICU at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital.<\/p>\n

But, day by day, he is improving.<\/p>\n

Dark days, an infusion of antibodies and moments of hope<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Doctors don\u2019t know exactly why Michael appears to be rebounding, but last week, he became the first person in Colorado and one of the first in the U.S. to receive what\u2019s known as \u201cconvalescent plasma.\u201d The plasma contains antibodies from a donor who contracted COVID-19, recovered, and donated that plasma to the blood donor center at Children\u2019s Hospital Colorado<\/a>. The main Children\u2019s Colorado campus is right next door to University of Colorado Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus<\/a> in Aurora and medical experts at the two facilities frequently work closely together.<\/p>\n

The anonymous donor, the team at Children\u2019s Colorado and Michael\u2019s doctors and nurses all hope that the infusion of antibodies may have helped strengthen Michael\u2019s immune system, giving him greater ammunition to fight COVID-19.<\/p>\n

\n

Learn more:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Update: ‘Huge’ milestone: Colorado’s first convalescent plasma recipient leaves ICU after 34 days on a ventilator<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Interested in donating plasma? Click here<\/a> to get more details.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For all updates and to read more articles about the new coronavirus, please visit uchealth.org\/covid19<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The treatments are experimental and Michael also might have received other experimental medications that are part of clinical trials, including a medication called sarilumab<\/a>, which is typically used for people with rheumatoid arthritis. So, doctors won\u2019t know for sure how much the plasma helped as compared to other treatments Michael has received.<\/p>\n

Before getting COVID-19, Michael was healthy and active and loved skiing, hiking and fishing.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Dr. Michael Leonard with his daughter, Dr. Molly Leonard, at her wedding. Michael worked as a health care consultant and had traveled to multiple hospitals in large U.S. cities before he became sick. Photo courtesy of the Leonard family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He runs a health care consulting company called Safe and Reliable Healthcare<\/a>, and he had been traveling extensively for about two weeks across the country to hospitals in large cities before returning home to Evergreen in mid-March.<\/p>\n

Meg said Michael started coughing almost immediately. His cough worsened, then Michael started running a fever, and eventually struggled to breathe. At his doctor\u2019s urging, Meg took her husband to University of Colorado Hospital two weeks ago and hasn\u2019t been able to see him since.<\/p>\n

There were some very dark days as Michael declined fast. His family and his team feared they were losing him. In recent days, however, there have been some powerful moments that have given the Leonards hope.<\/p>\n

A chaplain has set up calls over an iPad with Michael, Meg, their son, Matthew, and daughter, Dr. Molly Leonard, who is a surgical resident in Salt Lake City. Molly recently learned some exciting news. A nurse held the iPad up to Michael\u2019s ear.<\/p>\n

\u201cMolly is pregnant and the other day, she found out that\u2019s she\u2019s having a girl,\u201d Meg said. \u201cShe said, \u2018Dad, I want you to know that you\u2019re going to have a granddaughter.\u2019 It looked like his eyebrow lifted up. That was a pretty lovely moment. I feel like he knows we\u2019re there with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saving critically ill patients and reducing the need for precious ventilators<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the absence of any cures now for COVID-19, medical experts in Colorado are hoping to give convalescent plasma from COVID-19 survivors to as many hospitalized patients as they can.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, we want to treat the very sick patients, but if we can ramp up our supply, our goal would be to provide plasma for patients who are sick enough to be hospitalized, but who have not progressed to needing ventilators. That\u2019s the ultimate goal,\u201d said\u00a0Dr. David Beckham<\/a>, an infectious disease specialist who studies viruses in a lab he runs at the\u00a0University of Colorado School of Medicine<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Beckham and researchers at his lab study viruses similar to coronaviruses called flaviviruses. They include common viruses like West Nile, Dengue, tick-borne encephalitis, Zika virus, and now are working in the laboratory with the SARS-CoV2 virus which causes COVID-19.<\/p>\n

Beckham has joined a team of infectious disease and blood bank experts around Colorado who are now creating a network of sites throughout the state where people who tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks \u2014 and have recovered \u2014 can donate their plasma.<\/p>\n

For now, donors must have received a positive result from a COVID-19 test. Of course, tests in Colorado and around the U.S. have been in very short supply. But, it\u2019s possible that within weeks, people who believe they had the illness, but recovered at home and never were tested, will also be able to donate their plasma.<\/p>\n

Beckham is racing to create a test at his University of Colorado lab over the next several days that will be able to determine how powerful a donor\u2019s antibodies are.<\/p>\n

Different people who contracted COVID-19 will develop different amounts of antibodies that vary greatly in their potency. Interestingly, Beckham said that people who had mild cases of COVID-19 might actually have the fiercest antibodies. With better tests, he\u2019ll get much better information about people\u2019s antibodies.<\/p>\n

Once Beckham and the team in his lab create the test, they will work with hospital and industry laboratories to test potential plasma donors who never got a test for COVID-19, but who were fairly certain they had the illness. The new plasma test will enable people who think they had COVID-19, but were never tested, to step up, donate their plasma and help critically ill patients like Michael.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.David
Dr. David Beckham<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of hope for the community,\u201d Beckham said. \u201cThis is something that you can rapidly get up and running as a potential therapy until we have more advanced treatment approaches down the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

The concept of using convalescent plasma is an old one that was used during the 1918 flu pandemic and more recently to try to help patients suffering from Ebola, the H1N1 flu and SARS, an earlier type of coronavirus.<\/p>\n

Michael\u2019s family asked about the possibility of getting convalescent plasma exactly when Dr. Kyle Annen<\/a>, Medical Director of Transfusion Services and Patient Blood Management at Children\u2019s Hospital Colorado, was fielding calls from COVID-19 survivors, who wanted to donate their plasma.<\/p>\n

Very small study in China showed 5 of 5 patients survived<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Dr. Mary Berg<\/a>, Medical Director of Transfusion Services at University of Colorado Hospital, called Annen to see if the Children\u2019s Colorado blood bank could provide convalescent plasma. And the answer was \u201cyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Mary Berg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my job to be optimistic. That\u2019s why we\u2019re doing this,\u201d said Berg. \u201cThere is promise from giving this convalescent plasma.\u201d<\/p>\n

One study of five critically ill patients suffering from COVID-19 in China, found that all five improved after receiving convalescent plasma<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a very small study, but if we can do more plasma transfusions, hopefully we\u2019ll have people on ventilators for a shorter period of time. And maybe we can get plasma for people sooner so we can prevent them from having to get ventilators. And hopefully, we will not run out of ventilators.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plasma transfusions don\u2019t work for every infection or every patient, but with broad efforts across the U.S. to solicit plasma donors, medical experts here expect to learn many lessons about whether convalescent plasma can help people who are critically ill with COVID-19.<\/p>\n

Children\u2019s Colorado first to collect COVID-19 plasma, others ramping up fast<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Additional patients have since received convalescent plasma both at University of Colorado Hospital and at other Colorado hospitals. And, blood centers, including Children\u2019s Hospital<\/a>, Vitalant<\/a>, St. Mary\u2019s Medical Center in Grand Junction and the UCHealth Garth Englund Blood Center in Fort Collins<\/a> are quickly ramping up to collect convalescent plasma from eager donors. Kaiser Permanente Colorado<\/a> also plans to set up donor sites.<\/p>\n

Dr. Annen was the first to collect COVID-19 plasma in Colorado. She had heard about the idea of giving convalescent plasma to COVID-19 patients in early March, when Colorado reported the state\u2019s first official case of the new coronavirus.<\/p>\n

Then about two weeks ago, just around the time Michael had to be hospitalized, officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new guidelines for giving convalescent plasma to COVID-19 patients.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Kyle Annen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Annen started working on protocols right away. Even though children have fared better than adults, Annen knew convalescent plasma would be critical for patients throughout Colorado. She wanted her center to collect plasma to support hospitals throughout Colorado and ultimately, throughout the region.<\/p>\n

Right around the time that Annen began figuring out a system for accepting plasma, Berg called seeking plasma for Michael. Annen found a donor who had previously tested positive for COVID-19 and had been symptom-free for at least 14 days and who met all the other requirements. She and her team arranged for the donor to come in last week. The donor took another test, and this time, tested negative for COVID-19, meaning the donor was no longer infectious.<\/p>\n

The test results came back within hours, and the staff members at Children\u2019s Colorado collected the plasma. Then, they had to fly a sample to a centralized facility in Dallas for FDA required testing, to guarantee that that the plasma didn\u2019t have any other infectious agents. The report came back late at night that the blood was safe. And one of Annen\u2019s staffers raced into the blood bank at 1 a.m. to finish the paper work so the center could get the plasma out the door as quickly as possible. The moment it was ready, a courier from University of Colorado Hospital raced over to Children\u2019s Colorado, collected the plasma and brought it back to Berg\u2019s blood center at University of Colorado (which does not have a donor center). Berg and her team then processed the plasma and rushed it to Michael\u2019s team in the ICU.<\/p>\n

He received about 400 ml or two units of plasma. Each donor can supply 3 units of plasma at the most. So, two donors can provide enough plasma for three patients.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so excited,\u201d said Annen, who is also an assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. \u201cThis is so important to the community. I really feel like we are making a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

She looks forward to assisting with clinical trials that can help prove whether convalescent plasma helps COVID-19 patients.<\/p>\n

Annen welcomes more donors and has heard from hundreds of people who were never tested for COVID-19, but who are eager to donate as soon as they can.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would love to have people reach out to us. We are trying to schedule people (for donations) as quickly as we can,\u201d Annen said.<\/p>\n

COVID-19 hits patients with infections and organ failure<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Berg said Michael is typical of some COVID-19 patients who become critically ill and need as much help as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt started with coughing, fever and chills, then progressed to him being short of breath,\u201d she said. \u201cThe disease continued to progress and he needed to be intubated and put on a ventilator. His lungs failed. A bacterial infection snuck in and he was going into renal failure.\u201d<\/p>\n

On top of the infection itself, COVID-19 can cause severe inflammation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like a car engine is running and your body hits the gas to rev up the engine when you have an infection. The gas pedal gets hit, the engine goes into overdrive, and it\u2019s much more gas than you need. And the brakes don\u2019t work,\u201d Berg said.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Dr. Michael Leonard (second from the right) with his son, right, his wife, and his daughter and her husband. Leonard is critically ill from a COVID-19 infection, but his family is hoping he can recover and make it home eventually. Photo courtesy of the Leonard family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For people suffering severe problems like this, convalescent plasma may provide some help.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery hospital that knows anything about convalescent plasma wants to have it,\u201d Berg said.<\/p>\n

In some parts of the country, where doctors are overwhelmed and in crisis, like New York and New Orleans, there\u2019s little time to get a program up and running to do the plasma transfusions. But, Berg said the team effort in Colorado has been excellent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of proactive people here. It was seamless,\u201d Berg said. \u201cWe hope we can help others at smaller hospitals get the convalescent plasma easily too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plans to sit on the deck someday and to become a plasma donor\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Leonard family is incredibly grateful for the help they\u2019ve received.<\/p>\n

Meg used to work as a public health nurse. She knows how sick her husband has been. She knows not to expect miracles.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Meg and Michael Leonard at their daughter, Molly’s wedding. Meg looks forward to the day when her husband can come home. Photo courtesy of the Leonard Family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just baby steps,\u201d she says, her voice cracking with emotion. \u201cIt takes a long time for people who have COVID to get off of a ventilator.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meg is ready to wait.<\/p>\n

She and Michael met through a friend who happened to be a patient of Michael\u2019s many moons ago when he was practicing in Boston. He was her anesthesiologist for a minor procedure. As she woke up, they were chatting. Michael shared some of his interests in mountain climbing. He planned to leave soon to work at a clinic in Nepal. Meg\u2019s friend insisted that Michael needed to meet Meg, who had just returned from a trip to Nepal. Meg and Michael got to know each other for months through letters and phone calls. Then, they went together to work in Nepal, were soon married and enjoyed a lovely life together until the infection attacked Michael\u2019s body and the Leonards came face-to-face with a global pandemic.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Meg and her husband, Michael, during happier times when they walked their daughter, Molly, down the aisle at her wedding. Today, Meg must love her husband from afar as he fights COVID-19. She’s looking forward to a reunion with her husband soon. Photo courtesy of the Leonard family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never been through anything more difficult,\u201d Meg said. \u201cIt\u2019s been really hard, not being able to be with him or hold his hand or talk to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the same time, she has been struck by the kindness of people and the selflessness of Michael\u2019s medical team.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis experience shows you how lovely people are and how much we need each other,\u201d Meg said.<\/p>\n

She and her son both became sick with what they believe were mild cases of COVID-19. Both have had to isolate themselves. But now that Michael has received convalescent plasma, Meg sees an upside to having become infected herself.<\/p>\n

She may soon be able to donate her own plasma and help bring life to another person who is suffering.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope they\u2019ll let me do that. I\u2019d just love for someone else to benefit. I would love to help out,\u201d Meg said.<\/p>\n

Once Michael is home and safe and sound, Meg is even thinking of volunteering to work as a nurse again in an ICU or somewhere else where she might be needed.<\/p>\n

For now, she dreams of the day when she and Michael can enjoy the simplest of pleasures: sitting outside on their back deck, looking out into the forest and sipping a glass of wine. Until then, she must love her husband from afar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sending him all my energy and my thoughts and prayers,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen we talk to him, we just tell him we love him. We want him to get better. Just hang on and fight hard.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the last text that Dr. Michael Leonard sent before COVID-19 attacked his body and forced him to go on a ventilator, he reassured his wife of 32 years. \u201cI\u2019m coming home,\u201d wrote Leonard, a 68-year-old anesthesiologist and businessman from Evergreen. \u201cHe promised me that,\u201d Meg Leonard said. \u201cI\u2019m just hanging on to that.\u201d And […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2123,"featured_media":30632,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[146,4859,4860,895],"class_list":["post-30623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-blood-donation","tag-coronavirus","tag-covid-19","tag-garth-englund-blood-donation-center"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFirst man in Colorado gets 'convalescent plasma' treatment to help fight COVID-19<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dr. Michael Douglas is the first person in Colorado to receive convalescent plasma to help fight COVID-19. 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