Organ transplants saw marked decline worldwide amid pandemic: study

An observational study spanning four continents indicated a marked decline in the number of solid organ transplants amid the COVID-19 pandemic, likely due to risk of infection and limited resources.

Results indicated worldwide organ transplants declined 16% (11,253) across the 22 countries, with the largest reductions among kidney transplants (-19%), likely owing to its "non-immediate life-saving nature," followed by lung, liver and heart transplants, down approximately 16%, 11% and 5%, respectively. "Although the number of organ transplants decreased rapidly during the first 3 months of the pandemic, this decrease stabilised after June, 2020, as transplantation centres presumably learned to adapt after the first pandemic wave," the study reads. "A new sharp decrease in organ transplant activity was observed from October to December, 2020."