FAQs

As of March 20, 2020, more than 80,000 people worldwide have recovered from COVID-19, most of whom were relatively healthy prior to contracting the disease. However, you should know that being relatively healthy prior to contracting COVID-19 does not guarantee full recovery from the disease, as deaths have occurred in otherwise healthy individuals. Healthy individuals who suspect they have been exposed to COVID-19 or have been diagnosed with the disease should follow CDC recommendations and/or physician orders. These typically include self-isolating at home, getting rest and staying hydrated. Treating fever with acetaminophen is generally recommended. If symptoms become severe, including uncontrolled fever, increasing cough or shortness of breath, contact your healthcare provider.

The ways in which COVID-19 is spread are not completely understood, but we do know that person-to-person transmission is reduced if people limit contact with others. The State of Michigan is under executive orders that have closed restaurants and bars, and prohibited large gatherings. It is critical that everyone take these restrictions seriously to minimize risk of contracting COVID-19 or transmitting it to others.

Individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19 and infected may not have recognizable symptoms of the disease. Although they feel well, these individuals may unknowingly contribute to the spread of the disease through contact with others. Therefore, it’s critical that everyone adhere to CDC and State of Michigan guidelines regarding COVID-19, including social distancing. COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease and not limited to a particular age group or ethnicity. Anyone can contract this potentially deadly virus.

No. Cord blood stem cells do not come from an embryo. They are in the blood of the umbilical cord and placenta.

Almost any family can donate their baby’s cord blood. Both mom and baby must be healthy, with no history of infectious disease and it must be a single birth (meaning not twins or triplets).

After the baby is born, the physician or midwife will drain the blood remaining in the placenta into a sterile, labeled bag. The collection is painless. No blood is taken from the baby.

The cord blood bank keeps your names confidential; it protects the privacy of the donating family. Names are not shared with any patient or transplant center. The baby’s cord blood is identified by number, never by name.

Donated cord blood is available for use by anyone who needs it. If the cord blood is in the bank, it would be available for a member of the donating family who is in need of a transplant. Keep in mind that the cord blood might not be a good tissue match even though the patient is related to the baby.

Cord blood is processed, frozen and stored in the J.P. McCarthy Cord Stem Cell Bank at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. This local, public cord blood bank is a network bank in the National Marrow Donor Program. From there, it can be searched and accessed by medical professionals around the world looking for a donor match for transplantation.

Cord blood is the blood left over in the umbilical cord and placenta after a baby is born.