Enterprising, Economics Savvy, BYU-Idaho Students Try to Collect Valuable Plasma

The entrepreneurial spirit of the college students attending BYU-Idaho is admirable. Their collective judgement, well, maybe not so much. Brigham Young University–Idaho is a private university located in Rexburg, Idaho. The university is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Rexburg is located in Madison County, which the New York Times reports is a coronavirus hotspot, with 1,749 cases, a bunch for a county of 23,000.  The 14-day trend is 70 cases per day. So, BYU kids, watching and hearing the president, see an opportunity and the college’s administration isn’t happy, sending out an email yesterday, which began, 

This may be overblown. BYU-Idaho administrators might be clairvoyant and issuing warnings just to head off any bright ideas students might have to raise a little money.  WRCBtv reports, “Mimi Taylor, spokeswoman for Eastern Idaho Public Health, told CNN that she believed the school put out the statement as a preemptive measure intended to keep students from getting any ideas.”

"We have nothing to substantiate this information -- it is definitely rumors," Taylor said. Really?  The school's Covid-19 dashboard on Wednesday said there are 131 active cases among students, up from 119 just yesterday. However, nothing stimulates supply like an increase in price. The Salt Lake Tribune reports,

BioLife in nearby Ammon pays $200 per donation for the first two weeks from someone who was previously positive for the virus, according to its website. And Biomat USA in Rexburg, where BYU-Idaho is located, offers $100 per donation for as long as the antibody remains in an individual’s plasma.

 At the same time, 

 The companies also accept plasma from those without COVID-19 antibodies to help fight other diseases. But it’s not as lucrative. At Biomat, for instance, donors get $25, with increases depending on how often they come in after that.

 BYU-Idaho should be pleased their students have been attending economics class.