How Celtics’ Marcus Smart Is Making A Major Contribution To Coronavirus Research
Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart is reportedly donating his blood plasma to the National COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Project in order to aid ongoing research of the disease which has ravaged countries worldwide.
On Sunday (March 29), he announced doctors determined him to be coronavirus-free after he tested positive earlier in the month.
Plasma therapy gives antibodies from those who have recovered from COVID-19 to people still trying to fight the infection. Scientists believe it could be a way to combat the disease. Clinical trials have already begun, according to NBC News. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium announced the important development on Twitter Wednesday.
Smart is among numerous NBA players who had tested positive for the coronavirus. The Utah Jazz’ Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell as well as the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant and the Detroit Pistons’ Christian Wood. Gobert and Mitchell were cleared last week. Durant and four other Nets players were reported cleared on Wednesday, according to USA Today.
Also, New York Knicks owner James Dolan has also tested positive. Other NBA players have tested positive for COVID-19, however the names have not been revealed.
According to data from Johns Hopkins Hospital, more than 911,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus worldwide and 45,000 have died while 191,000 have recovered. In the United States, there are 203,000 confirmed cases and 4,400 deaths with 8,400 recoveries.
