HIALEAH, FLA. (WSVN) - A man who was diagnosed with COVID-19 is recovering at a hospital in Hialeah after he received a blood plasma transfusion.

Nurses and staff at Palmetto Regional Hospital cheered on 36-year-old Johny Villegas Gonzalez as he was moved from the intensive care unit to a different floor, Saturday.

Doctors had to put Villegas Gonzalez on life support, and he received a number of treatments for the virus.

But it wasn’t until Villegas Gonzalez was treated with plasma from a recovered COVID-19 patient that he began to get better.

“I think we have an advantage now. We’ve been at this for a few months, especially here in the United States and within the last two months here in South Florida,” said Dr. Alex Morizio, director of the hospital’s ICU, “and we’re actually starting to have better treatments as time has gone on.”

While not completely recovered, this is a remarkable feat for Villegas Gonzalez, who was admitted to the hospital back in March.

Anyone with questions and concerns about the coronavirus can call the Florida Department of Health’s 24-hour hotline at 1-866-779-6121.

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