Stable and safe organ procurement and transplantation during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Germany

ABSTRACT

Solid organ transplantation is a lifesaving routine procedure. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, procurement and transplantation programs in many countries experienced a considerable reduction of organ donation and transplantation by up to 90% caused by an capacity overload of health care providers but also for fear of increased COVID-19 related risks for transplant recipients acquired by viral transmissions from donor to recipient or early after transplantation. Competition for intensive care capacity for severely ill COVID-19 patients versus transplant recipients and organ donors could also have played a role. In Germany, early pandemic management with high capacity testing including all potential organ donors, marked extension of intensive care capacities, structural health care system with a relatively high number of hospitals with intensive care units (1248) as well as transplant centers (40) with high capacities and regional organization of organ donation and transplantation may have been advantageous.