Tom Hanks’ blood could be used to develop a vaccine for COVID-19

Our reality has felt like a dystopian sci-fi movie for a while now, but at least now there’s a positive plot twist. First, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson both survived a bout with COVID-19. Now Hanks tells Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me! that he and his wife both have coronavirus antibodies in their systems, and have donated their blood to science in case the plasma can be used for good:

We have not only been approached, we have said, ‘Do you want our blood? Can we give plasma?’ And, in fact, we will be giving it now to the places that hope to work on what I would like to call the Hank-ccine.

HANK-CCINE.  In all of the stress and awfulness around us, at least we have that happy thought to carry us through.

Rita Wilson had previously mentioned this on CBS:

Well, that’s what they told us and that’s what the belief is. We recently have been part of a study where we’ve donated our blood, and we’re waiting to hear back if our antibodies will be helpful in developing a vaccine, but also if we are able to donate plasma that can be used as donation to other people who are suffering from the virus because we are immune.

George Stephanopoulous has also donated plasma but that’s not nearly as exciting.

Tom Hanks on Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me! [NPR]

Tom Hanks’ Blood Will be Used To Develop COVID-19 Vaccine [Today Online]

Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson to donate blood for COVID-19 vaccine [Katie Scott / Global News CA]

Image: e-ole4 / Flickr (CC 2.0)