Organ Donation and Transplantation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Summary of the Spanish Experience

Abstract

Background: Spain has been amongst the countries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has posed significant challenges to the donation and transplantation program. Despite a dramatic decrease of donation and transplantation activities during the critical early weeks of the outbreak, the program has recovered and is learning to cope with COVID-19.

Methods: We describe the 4 pillars upon which the Spanish donation and transplantation program has been rebuilt.

Results: (1) Standards have been developed and progressively updated for the evaluation and selection of potential donors and recipients with regards to SARS-CoV-2 infection. (2) Spain has been actively generating evidence to assess the validity of our standards and to understand the natural history of the infection in transplant recipients. No case of donor-derived COVID-19 has been reported to date. COVID-19 has been more frequent and has had a more aggressive course in recipients of solid organ transplants than in the general population, but this seems largely explained by the demographics and comorbidity of transplant patients. (3) As a result of this evidence and experience, recommendations have been issued for the management of COVID-19 in solid organ transplant recipients and candidates on the waiting list. (4) Finally, concrete guidance has been issued for centers to manage the donation and transplantation programs in relation to a dynamic and heterogeneous epidemiologic scenario.

Conclusions: The Spanish experience confronting the impact of COVID-19 upon donation and transplantation may help serve the needs of a broader community in other countries.