Sars-cov-2 infection in heart transplant recipients. Mexico experience

Zetina-Tun, Hugo J; Careaga-Reyna, Guillermo

Background: Heart transplant recipients do not escape SARS-CoV-2 infection, their immunocompromised status puts them at high risk for infection. The clinical severity of presentation is uncertain, its mortality in heart transplant patients has not yet been determined. Material and Methods: observational, retrospective. From March 2020 to February 2021, heart transplant recipients with qRT-PCR positivity to SARS-CoV-2-2 were gathered. The following variables were assessed: age, sex, time of transplantation at the time of infection, mortality, hospitalization, extra oxygen requirement,comorbidities, and severity of infection. Results: Eight SARS-CoV-2 positive patients were gathered, aged 53.8 ± 7.6 years. One female patient (12.5%) and 7 males (87.5%), mean transplantation time 72.8 ± 38.0 months. Mortality was 12.5%, (one patient who was hospitalized).Seven patients were treated at home; 3 (37.5%) required supplemental oxygen.Comorbidities were diabetes mellitus 87.5%, arterial hypertension 87.5%, obesity: 25%, the clinical presentation was severe in 1 patient (12.5%), moderate in 2 (25%) and mild in 5 patients (62.5%). Analysis: SARS-CoV-2 infection in heart transplant recipients presents a mild to moderate clinical picture, despite the comorbidities presented. It could be that the immunosuppressant taken prior to the surgery confers a protective effect.