Middlesex Sheriff’s Office giving back during COVID-19 pandemic

MEDFORD, Mass. — The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office was hit hard with COVID-19. Thirty-one inmates and 39 staffers have recovered from the virus.

Crystal Miske was one of the employees. She said she is happy to be back on the job.

“I was out of work for 3 weeks. I was sick for about 7-10 days of that,” Miske said.

Miske contracted COVID-19 in mid-March. Once healthy, the 27-year-old, who is the coordinator for the department’s medication-assisted treatment program, made a plasma donation.

“It’s really important. The Red Cross says it can help one to three people. I think it’s important to instead of looking that as a number, look at those as names. Think of three people that may be at high-risk around you. Those are the three people you can help,” Miske said.

Convalescent plasma is being studied as a way to help COVID-19 patients fight the virus. The antibodies that worked to combat the virus in a survivor could be used to help someone else push through.

“This is just another example of corrections officers and professionals stepping up to do more than just their job and serve the public,” said Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian.

Koutoujian said so far 10 employees who contracted COVID-19 and have recovered are donating plasma to help others in the fight against the virus.

“What I’m hoping is this initiative undertaken by the Middlesex Sheriff’s office, including Crystal, will be something of a model that others can see that we’re doing it and the general public can also do this. It brings a lot more plasma into the system and saving a lot more lives as well,” Koutoujian said.

Plasma transfusions are considered experimental, not proven, and require approval on a case-by-case basis from the Food and Drug Administration. “It takes two hours of your time. It’s not painful. It’s just the same really as giving blood,” Miske said.

According to the American Red Cross, you can donate up to 13 times per year, as long as there are 28 days between each donation.

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RESOURCES:

- Massachusetts Coronavirus Information

- Boston Coronavirus Information

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