Solid Organ Transplantation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Front Immunol. 2020 Jun 16:11:1392. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01392. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Since December 2019, the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly affected solid organ transplantation (SOT) worldwide and has become a threat to the lives of SOT recipients. Here, we have reviewed, condensed, and organized the available information on COVID-19 to provide recommendations to transplant healthcare workers. Our review of reported cases shows that the symptoms of SOT patients with COVID-19 are similar to those of the normal population, but their severity and outcomes are worse. Thus far, there is no evidence that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) directly causes permanent damage to kidney, liver, or heart allografts.

Keywords: COVID-19; clinical characteristics; immunosuppressant; solid organ transplantation; transplant safety.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Betacoronavirus
  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus Infections / pathology*
  • Coronavirus Infections / transmission
  • Female
  • Heart / virology
  • Heart Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Humans
  • Kidney / pathology
  • Kidney / virology
  • Kidney Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Liver / pathology
  • Liver / virology
  • Liver Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocardium / pathology
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / pathology*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / transmission
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Transplant Recipients / statistics & numerical data