Favorable outcome of COVID-19 among African American (AA) renal transplant recipients in Detroit

Abstract

Transplant recipients are vulnerable to infections, including COVID-19, given their comorbidities and chronic immunosuppression. In this study, all hospitalized renal transplant recipients (RTR) with a positive nasal swab for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV2) seen consecutively between 03/01/2020 and 05/01/2020 at the Detroit Medical Center were included. Data on demographics, clinical presentation, laboratory findings, management, and outcomes were collected. Twenty-five patients were included, all African American (AA) and deceased-donor transplant recipients. The most common presenting symptom was dyspnea, followed by fever, cough and diarrhea. Multifocal opacities on initial chest x-ray were seen in 52% patients and 44% of patients had a presenting oxygen saturation of less than or equal to 94%. Four patients (16%) required transfer to the intensive care unit, one required intubation and one expired. COVID-19-infected RTR in this cohort had low mortality of 4% (n = 1). Despite multiple comorbidities and chronic immunosuppression, our cohort of African American RTR had favorable outcomes compared to other reports on COVID-19 in RTR.