Ann Liver Transplant.  2021 Nov;1(2):123-128. 10.52604/alt.21.0027.

Impact of COVID-19 on the number of deceased donors and organ transplantation in Western countries

• Park CS
• Park YH

• KMID: 2560861
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.52604/alt.21.0027

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has an impact on all facets of our health care system, including life-saving procedures. The COVID-19 in 2020 has a substantial impact on the transplant community. This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the number of deceased donors and organ transplantation in Western countries by analyzing literature review. In Spain, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to the Spanish donation and transplantation program. The program activities decreased substantially during the most critical weeks of the first COVID-19 wave, but recovered over the next weeks to return to a reasonable level. In France, there was a 28% decrease in the number of organ donations and a 22% decrease in the number of liver transplantation in 2020. In Italy, a 47% reduction in organ donation and a 44% reduction in transplantation during the first 6 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with one year before. In the United States of America, the overall reduction in deceased donor transplantations since the COVID-19 outbreak was 51.1%, with the highest percentage of reduction in kidney transplantation. The present study revealed that there is a strong association between the increase in COVID-19 infections and a striking reduction in solid organ transplantation procedures. However, further studies are necessary to follow up and validate the results of this study.

Keyword

SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Deceased donor; Living donor; Organ transplantation