ADVOCATE & ACTIVIST

Diana Berrent was one of the first people in her area to test positive for COVID-19. While scrambling to get medical information and testing, she became an advocate and activist for herself and others. As a self-described “Canary in the COVID Coalmine,” she vowed to amplify her voice as she navigated through this virus odyssey.

She documented both her illness and recovery through her Coronavirus Diary, giving the world a glimpse of her struggles and process. While in isolation, Diana launched Survivor Corps, a grassroots solution-based movement to mobilize the sharply increasing number of people affected by COVID-19 to come together, support and participate in the medical and scientific research community efforts and take a more active role in trying to mitigate this pandemic. 

Three weeks after the resolution of her symptoms, she was Participant #0001 in Columbia University’s clinical trial to recruit survivors to donate their blood and plasma. Diana tested negative for the virus and positive for the antibodies. As an added bonus, she is a Universal Donor, able to give her blood and plasma to those COVID-19 patients less fortunate - who either cannot create their own antibodies or who have rarer blood types that are more difficult to match.

Diana’s goal now is to activate and enroll as many others to join Survivor Corps, the Peace Corps of the COVID Generation. We, as a community, can save lives. Our collective power could truly help stem the tide of this pandemic and assist in the national recovery.

Mission • Leadership • Medical Advisory Board • Partners / Alliances • Plasma & Blood Banks