Post-Acute Sequelae of Sars-Cov-2 Infection in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) is an increasingly recognized phenomenon manifested by long lasting cognitive, mental, and physical symptoms. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of PASC symptoms in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) in the short (1- 6 months) and long-term (> 6 months) periods after SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also compared the prevalence of these symptoms between those with SARS-CoV-2 infection requiring hospitalization and those not requiring hospitalization. Method(s) We surveyed 111 SOTRs with self-reported SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosed more than 4 weeks prior to survey administration. The survey consisted of 7 validated questionnaires ("Quick Dementia Rating System (QDRS)", "Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9)", "Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7)", "Impact of Events Scale (IES-6)", "EuroQol- 5 Dimension (EQ-5D)", "PROMIS global physical health scale (GHS) "and "Breathlessness, Cough and Sputum Scale (BCSS)"). Result(s) Of the 111 survey participants, 32 (33%) had been hospitalized and 35 (36%) had SARS-CoV-2 infection >6 months ago. Median (IQR) age was 58 years (46, 65). Median time from SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis was 167 days (138, 221). Cognitive impairment, anxiety, depression, insomnia, feeling of trauma, fatigue, pain, breathing problems, cough, abnormal smell, abnormal taste, and diarrhea were reported by 40%, 23%, 36%, 55%, 53%, 41%, 19%, 33%, 33%, 21%, 22%, and 32% of patients respectively. Hospitalized patients had poorer scores in cognition (QDRS survey score of 2 versus 0.75, p=0.048) (Figure 1), quality of life (EQ-5D survey score of 2 versus 1, p=0.043), physical health (PROMIS GHS survey score of 10 versus 11, p=0.013), respiratory status (BCSS survey score of 1 versus 0, p=0.056), and pain (Pain score of 3 versus 0, p 0.006). Among patients who had SARS-CoV-2 infection >6 months ago, abnormal breathing, cough, abnormal smell, abnormal taste, and diarrhea continued to be reported by 31%, 31%, 29%, 32%, and 32% of patients respectively. Conclusion(s) After SARS-CoV-2 infection, SOTRs had a high prevalence of PASC symptoms. Some of the symptoms are more severe in patients who had required hospitalization and persist beyond 6 months. Further studies are needed to understand the long term sequalae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in SOTRs and to develop an evidence-based multidisciplinary approach for caring for these patients beyond the acute phase. (Table Presented).