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COVID-19 and Solid Organ Transplantation: A Review Article
Yorg Azzi1, Rachel Bartash2, Joseph Scalea3
1Division of Nephrology, Abdominal Transplant Program, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.
Transplantation
|November 5, 2020
Summary
Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients face high COVID-19 mortality risks. This review covers SARS-CoV-2 impacts, diagnostics, outcomes, and transplant strategies during the pandemic.
Area of Science:
- Medicine
- Immunology
- Virology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted solid organ transplantation (SOT) globally.
- Solid organ transplant recipients are vulnerable to severe COVID-19 due to immunosuppression and comorbidities, with reported mortality rates from 13% to over 30%.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the multifaceted impact of COVID-19 on solid organ transplantation.
- To summarize key aspects including immune response, diagnostics, clinical outcomes, transplant activity modifications, and treatment strategies.
Main Methods:
- This is a review article.
- Synthesizes current literature on COVID-19 in SOT recipients.
- Examines data on SARS-CoV-2 infection, outcomes, and transplantation practices.
Main Results:
- COVID-19 poses substantial risks to SOT recipients, necessitating careful donor and recipient selection during the pandemic.
- Transplant activity was modified, with initial recommendations to suspend living donor kidney programs and reserve deceased donor transplants for urgent cases.
- Clinical implications vary by organ type and patient comorbidities, complicating management decisions.
Conclusions:
- Careful tailoring of transplant activity with meticulous donor and recipient selection is crucial during pandemics.
- Further research is needed on the efficacy of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines in immunosuppressed transplant populations.
- Understanding the immune response and optimizing diagnostics are vital for managing SOT recipients during viral outbreaks.
