Scarborough lifeboat crewman Mark Jenkinson donates plasma for coronavirus trials

Scarborough RNLI volunteer Mark Jenkinson – who caught coronavirus earlier this year – is donating his plasma containing antibodies which fight the disease to a national

medical trial.

The pilot sees blood plasma transfused into people who still have coronavirus to potentially save lives if the antibodies in the plasma can stop the virus invading cells.

Mark, who lives in Scarborough’s Old Town, is an emergency care assistant with Yorkshire Ambulance Service and volunteers on the Scarborough RNLI all-weather Shannon lifeboat.

He has already made one donation and been invited back for more.

“I’m very proud to be giving back,” he said. “I wanted to try and help someone else.”

Mark, 50, was diagnosed with coronavirus on April 10. His symptoms included a high temperature, a persistent cough, lethargy, the loss of his sense of taste and smell, and he felt as if he could not get enough air in his lungs. At his lowest point, when he was struggling to breathe, he spent several hours at Scarborough Hospital’s A&E department.

Mark was out of action – in quarantine – until June 3, when he returned to work and resumed his lifeboat duties, on call.

Because he had developed the antibodies which fight coronavirus, he was asked by the NHS Blood and Transplant Centre to help with their treatment trial.

“I’ve been giving blood for years and I’m on the organ donation list,” he said.

“It was just like giving blood. The machine spins your blood, takes the plasma out and gives you the blood back.

“If the plasma they’ve taken has enough antibodies, they’ll give it to someone to help them recover.”

Professor David Roberts, NHS Blood and Transplant Centre Associate Director for Blood Donation and one of the plasma trial’s lead investigators, said: “We need to collect convalescent plasma now, to make sure plasma is readily available for the trial to treat people currently in hospital.

“Donations can also be frozen to ensure convalescent plasma is readily available, should there be a rise in infections in the coming weeks.

“We especially need male donors as they generally have higher antibody levels.”

The centre is prioritising people with positive tests and men as they are more likely to have high enough antibody levels for the donation to be eligible.

Anyone who has had coronavirus, either a test result or the symptoms, can offer to donate by calling 0300 123 23 23 or visiting the NHS Blood and Transplant Centre website.

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