Andrea Bocelli recently revealed that he has recovered from COVID-19 and donated blood plasma in the hopes of helping others fighting the virus.
The famous Italian opera singer said in a statement to ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday that he was impacted by the virus and had experienced a "swift and full recovery by the end of March."
This was shortly before Bocelli gave a powerful Easter performance at Milan’s iconic Duomo cathedral on April 12.
MORE: What plasma donations could mean for the hardest-hit COVID-19 patients"The pandemic which has shaken the world has also affected — albeit mildly — me and certain members of my family," Bocelli said in a statement.
MORE: Triple combination therapy shows promise for COVID-19 patients with less severe illnesses"Out of respect for those for whom contracting the virus has had more serious consequences, I decided it would be best not to share the news," his statement continued. "I certainly didn’t want to unnecessarily alarm my fans and also wished to protect my family’s privacy."
"Given the chance to donate blood to help find a cure for Covid, my response was an immediate “yes”. A modest — but fundamental — gesture, through which I am playing my small part," he said in the statement.
Convalescent plasma — blood from survivors of the virus that contains antibodies — is being used by researchers in hopes that it "can be given to people with severe COVID-19 to boost their ability to fight the virus," according to the Mayo Clinic.
