ABSTRACT
Background: Worldwide, transplant programs suffered a setback in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and most have temporarily suspended transplant activity. This severe decline in transplantation activity was due to concerns over potentially increased susceptibility and worsened outcomes of COVID-19 in transplant recipients. Methods: We report our preliminary experience with 26 patients followed at the liver transplant service, in a tertiary hospital in Brazil, infected with COVID19, from a PCR test (nucleic acid test). Results: Nine patients required admission to the Intensive Care Unit and/or invasive ventilatory support (severe cases). The mean age of severe cases was 62.5 years. Regarding the time since transplant, about 66% (6 patients) had a time of less than 1 year. The immunussuppressive therapy was reduced in patients who required hospitalization, with suspension of it especially in critical patients in the Intensive Care Unit. A total of eight cases (88.89%) required invasive ventilatory support. Six cases (66.67%) required renal replacement therapy. In this group of patients, six died (66.67%). In turn, 17 patients had mild to moderate symptoms, not requiring invasive ventilatory support or admission to the Intensive Care Unit. The mean age of this patients was 57.9 years and comorbidities were present in 64.7% of the cases. In this group, only five patients (29.4%) required hospitalization due to complications. Conclusion: This report describes the results of COVID-19 infection in a very specific population, thus suggesting that liver transplant patients have a significant risk of progressing to severe disease, with a mortality rate among critically ill patients above that of the general population.