Photo Credit: Kapaopae

The following is a summary of “Sequelae of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection among Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Large Single-Center Experience,” published in the May 2024 issue Critical Care of by Zona et al.

Recipients with kidney transplants, due to weakened immune systems, are at high risk for severe illness and death after COVID-19.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study understanding the long-term health effects experienced by kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) after COVID-19.

They  examined adult KTRs who had functioning allografts and experienced the first episode of SARS-CoV-2 infection (April 2020 to April 2022). The study focused on factors that might increase the risk of hospitalization, death from any cause, death specifically related to COVID-19, and transplant rejection.

The result showed data from 979 KTRs with COVID-19 infection. Around 39% (381 patients) required hospitalization. Risk factors linked to increased hospitalization risk were older age (HR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.02–1.04), males in gender (HR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.04–1.60), non-white race (HR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.17–1.88), and having diabetes as the reason for kidney failure (HR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.41–2.21). Additionally, COVID-19 vaccination was linked with a lower risk of hospitalization (HR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.59–0.90), death from any cause, and death specifically related to SARS-CoV-2. The main factors for mortality were advanced age, requiring hospitalization for COVID-19, experiencing respiratory symptoms upon admission, and specifically, being non-white and having diabetes as the main cause of ESKD, While receiving a kidney from a living donor was found to be protective. 

Investigators concluded that KTRs with COVID-19 hospitalization raise mortality risk, while vaccination offers significant protection against both hospitalization and death.

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2024/7140548