Organ Donation and Transplantation in the COVID-19 era: Should programs really stop? Donación de órganos y trasplante en la era COVID-19: ¿Realmente se deben parar los programas? / Organ Donation and Transplantation in the COVID-19 era: Should program

ABSTRACT

Abstract The SARS-CoV2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related to Coronavirus 2) pandemic, which is the etiological agent of the Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19), organ donation and transplantation activity throughout the world has been clearly affected. The main reasons that currently motivate the partial or total cessation of transplants are 1) the burden of care burden generated by the management of a potential donor in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 2) the high risk of donor/recipient viral transmission, 3) the risk of using immunosuppressing a patient in the midst of the pandemic, and 4) the shortage of ICU beds. Despite the fact that the world is facing an emerging disease that deserves special attention, at the same time the complications associated with other diseases continue to prevail, including complications of end-stage chronic diseases. The decision to continue with the transplant programs should be based on the local behavior of the virus and the healthcare capacity of each of the institutions. In Colombia, the epidemiological behavior of SARS-CoV2 varies significantly between different regions, allowing institutions that, until now, have little burden of attention from COVID-19, to resume their transplant activities. In this way, a balance is proposed between maintaining the prevention and care measures of COVID-19 and continuing to offer transplant services mainly to patients with a high risk of morbidity and mortality on the waiting list.