Varying presentations of COVID‐19 in young heart transplant recipients: A case series

Lee, Hannah; Mantell, Benjamin S.; Richmond, Marc E.; Law, Sabrina P.; Zuckerman, Warren A.; Addonizio, Linda J.; Lee, Teresa M.; Lytrivi, Irene D.

BACKGROUND: Immunosuppression is considered a risk factor for more severe clinical presentation of COVID‐19. Limited data regarding clinical outcome exist in adults, whereas very little is known about the spectrum of the disease in pediatric heart transplant recipients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of young heart transplant patients from our tertiary care center during the coronavirus pandemic in New York City and identified patients infected with SARS‐CoV‐2. RESULTS: We present four cases with COVID‐19 disease and elaborate on their presentation and clinical course. CONCLUSIONS: Although far from conclusive and limited by the small sample size and selection bias, these cases demonstrate mild and self‐limited disease despite immunosuppressive therapy and various comorbidities that are expected to increase the severity of the clinical picture based on extrapolation from the adult experience with this novel disease.