Solid organ transplantation in the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Era: “The great bet” in the North Italy Transplant program (NITp) area

Passamonti, Serena Maria; Cannavò, Antonino; Trunzo, Valentina; Caporale, Vittoria; Buonocore, Ruggero; DeFeo, Tullia Maria

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION solid organ transplantation may be considered challenging for waitlist patients during Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. AIM the aim of this study was to investigate COVID-19 incidence and mortality in patients transplanted in the North Italy Transplant program (NITp) area during the outbreak. MATERIALS AND METHODS all consecutive patients transplanted from February 20 to April 3, 2020 (6 weeks) were included in our cohort and followed for at least 4 weeks. Survival analyses were performed. RESULTS one-hundred and twenty-four patients were transplanted with 12 (9.7%) hearts, 4 (3.2%) lungs, 39 (31.4%) livers, 67 (54%) kidneys, 2 (1.6%) combined kidney-pancreas. Recipients’ mean age was 51 years (SD±16.6) and 76/124 (61%) were male. Five (4%) developed COVID-19 after a mean of 13 days (SD±6.7) with a cumulative incidence of 4.0% (CI95%, 0.5-7.5). During the follow-up, 5/124 (4%) recipients died for an overall mortality of 4.3% (CI 95%, 0.6-8.0) of whom only one for COVID-19, for a COVID-19-related mortality of 0.8% (CI95%, 0-6.0). CONCLUSIONS this study showed a low COVID-19 incidence and related-mortality in patients transplanted during the COVID-19 era. Further studies with a longer follow-up are mandatory to confirm the safety of transplant procedures.