Coronavirus disease in a renal allograft recipient: A case report

ABSTRACT

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) affected everyone on the globe, including renal transplant recipients who are at increased risk of infection. The clinical manifestations, immunosuppressive modifications, and treatment protocol are not well defined. We are reporting a case of renal transplant recipient and reviewed all case reports and series (a total of 100 patients) published to date to comprehend the clinical manifestations, immunosuppression modifications, treatment given, and outcomes of the patients. A 57-year-old male kidney transplant recipient had a fever, headache, weakness, and positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. He became asymptomatic with the treatment of hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, and oseltamivir. However, he remained persistently positive by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction for SARS-CoV-2 for 4 weeks and became negative only after Ivermectin therapy, a safer medicine than antivirals/antiretrovirals used for COVID therapy in renal transplant recipients. Of the 100 patients review of case series, fever was noted in 85%, cough 71%, diarrhea 10%, and radiographic abnormalities in 75% of cases. Only in 3% of cases, steroid was stopped, and in the rest of the cases, 63% either continued in the same doses or changed to methylprednisolone in 34%. Calcineurin inhibitors were temporarily stopped in 42% of cases, reduced in 9% of cases, and continued in the same doses in 49% of cases. The anti-metabolites were discontinued in 83%, reduced in 9% of cases, and not changed in 8% of cases. SARI was observed in 18% and acute kidney injury (AKI) in 26% of cases. Of all the AKI, 11% required renal replacement therapy. Mortality was observed in 21% of cases. COVID in renal transplant recipients may show an unusually longer positivity. Ivermectin may be used in the absence of any conclusive SARS-CoV-2 antivirals. Mortality is high in renal transplant recipients.