The Daily Show: Ears Edition - ICYMI - How the FDA's Anti-Gay Policy Inhibits COVID-19 Treatment

Episode Date: May 10, 2020

Jaboukie Young-White interviews recovered COVID-19 patients Lukus Estok and Dr. Jack Turban, who both faced obstacles to donating blood plasma due to anti-LGBTQ FDA rules. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts. During this pandemic, there have been a lot of people who have gone

above and beyond, donating their money, their time, and even their blood. But as our own Jibuki Young White reports, for some people, it's not that easy to to to to to to to to to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to to to to to to to to 60 to to the their their their to 60 minutes to their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their thiiiiiii. thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. thiiiiiiii. thiiiii. thii. their their their their their their money, their time, and even their blood. But as our own Djibouki Young White reports, for some people, it's not that easy to be a hero. With a vaccine still about a year away, medical experts are looking at other ways to treat COVID-19 patients. And there's one thing right now that seems to be working. Convalescent plasma? Convalescent plasma. Closma? Actually, the plasma of plasma of plasma of plasma of plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasma plasmacent plasma. Convalescent plasma? Closma? Actually, the plasma of recovered COVID patients, it's the one thing right now, more valuable than totally paper. If you've recovered from COVID-19, doctors want your blood. So I sat down with two people who might be able to help.

Do you still have COVID or like, how does that work? No, I'm good. I was cleared. I've been without symptoms for about 30 or 30 some days now. So I've been symptom free from coronavirus for about three weeks and I'm basically recovered. So can you explain to me what convalescent plasma treatment is? Yeah, that's where people donate plasma to get people better. Oh, okay, right, right, right. That's the therapy that Madonna uses on

her face where she takes a blood of her 20-year-old lovers to look younger. Okay. So it's not exactly that, but what happens is people who have coronavirus from the disease so that the antibodies can fight the virus for them, so they recover more quickly. Wow, that's really dope that you donated plasma and took time to think about other people during a pandemic. That's pretty laudable. We didn't. It's not quite that easy. Why is that? I'm gay too, and the FDA says that we are not allowed to donate blood. So you can't donate blood because you're gay?

Pretty much. Oh shit. Here we go. Back in 1983, the FDA banned gay men from donating blood. This was during the AIDS crisis, which was another disease that the government didn't do shit about until it was far too late. In 2015, that ban was lifted, but if a gay man wanted to donate blood, he just couldn't have sex for 12 months. That's some straight-up Mike pantshit right there. But now, in the middle of this pandemic, the FDA relaxed their bullshit policy

to three months. That's like an entire cuffing season. Like, where are you gonna find a man who hasn't had sex in three months? So I'm actually eligible to donate for the first time since I was 18. Oh, boom! So after a few rounds of screenings, I was given an appointment to donate. So what are gay blood drives like now?

Like, is everybody on Molly and listening to the new Duolipa album? Yeah, it wasn it it it wasn it wasn it wasn't it wasn't it wasn't it wasn't it wasn't it wasn't it wasn't it wasn't it wasn't it wasn't, it was it was it was it was th. It's. It's. th. that's. that's. that's. that's, it's, it's, that's, that's, that's, that's, th. th. that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, th. th. th. th. th. to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, th. th. th.. th. th.. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's like, that's like, that's like, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, the. the. the. Yeah, it wasn't quite like that. After I arrived and was preparing to donate through the New York Blood Center, they asked me why I hadn't donated since I was 18. I volunteered I was gay, and that's when they told me they're not yet recognizing the new relaxed deferral, and so they weren't willing to accept my donation. Wow. They are making it really hard as a to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the to the the to the to their to to their to to to to to to to to to their their their to to to to their to to their to to to to to to donate to donate to donate to donate to donate to donate to donate to to donate to donate to to donate to to donate to donate to donate to donate to to donate to donate to donate to to to donate to to thenate thenate the thea thea thea thoen thea thoen. thoen thoen., thoen., the an theanananananananananananan., toa toa toa toa toa toa toa toa.... to if you want them to take your blood,

you can't just reveal that you're gay. You're going to have to pass as a straight guy. What does straight people look like? Okay, so first, Lucas, let's take a look at your outfit. I'm going to need you to stand up and twirl around, not twirl, spin, spin around. Okay, okay. So, I've got this okay is this this your straightest outfit right now your look should kind of say I'm looking for a girlfriend to shop for me because I can't shop for myself that also do you have any clothes that your mom bought you no no plaid do you have any plaid?

Any plaid? No plaid? Yes, but it's really cute. It's like, it fits like exactly. No, no. How about any boot cut jeans? No, I mean straight cut. Do you have any shoes that look like they're too casual for formal events

and then too formal for casual events, and they're sc up and they look like they're the only shoes that you've owned for the past a decade. Yeah never mind Lucas never mind you can just you have a seat you can have a seat you can have a seat. Let me hear you say you just say bro. If I say take my blood bra bra and I'm the brah and they that the thii's their bra and their. their. their. their their their I I I I I I I I their I their I their I their I their I their I their I their I their I their I their I'm their I'm their I their I their I'm their their I'm their I their I their I their I their I their I their their their their their their their their their their their their their bra. their their their their their their their their their their their their their I their I their I their I their I their I their I their their I their their their their their their their the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their the their their their their, 90. I'm there and I'm sold. I believe it. Yeah, the thing is we shouldn't have to pass as straight, right? What do you mean, Jack? So being gay or bisexual isn't a real risk factor for HIV. Say you have a straight man who's had sex with 100 women in the past month and never used a condom. That person can still donate blood, but if there is a gay man who's been having sex

with his husband and wearing condoms consistently, that person can't. Yeah, I think at the end of the day, we need science and not stigma to make decisions about donor eligibility. The FDA is sending this message again that if you're gay, the only way that you can be a good, clean, charitable person, the kind of person who don't have sex.

So until the FDA comes around, we'll just have to keep our fine, fabulous blood all to ourselves. Thank you so much for that, Jabuki. And in some good news, one of the men Jabuki interviewed has since been able to donate his plasma to a private hospital. Hopefully the federal guidelines will change soon to make that more common. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Ears Edition. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and the Comedy Central

app. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and more. This has been a Comedy Central podcast. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes.

It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. You're rolling? But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look.