Texas county will offer cash incentive to increase COVID-19 plasma donations

Bexar County, Texas, has over 40,000 people who have survived COVID-19 infections -- but only a few hundred of those patients have donated plasma, according to health officials.

Now authorities are looking to entice those patients with some cash.

Justin Rodriguez, the Precinct 2 county commissioner, said the county has secured $150,000 from the federal government to fund a new stipend system to encourage residents to make plasma donations.

"It’ll be somewhere between $50 and $100 per donation," Rodriguez told reporters.

The county, which includes San Antonio, has had nearly 49,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 992 related deaths, according to its health department. The plasma has been used in treatment for COVID-19 patients but it is not a cure for the virus.

Rodriguez said the stipend program is still being worked out, but plans are to roll it out by the end of the month. He added that patients who hold onto their proof of donations could get back pay.

What to know about Coronavirus:

• How it started and how to protect yourself: Coronavirus explained
• What to do if you have symptoms: Coronavirus symptoms
• Tracking the spread in the US and Worldwide: Coronavirus map