Abstract:
Background: Post-acute sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (PASC), defined as prolonged symptoms following an episode of COVID-19, is not well-characterized in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTR). In this study, we aimed to assess the prevalence of PASC in SOTR, its descriptive characteristics, and associated risk factors.
Methods: We retrospectively identified SOTRs with acute COVID-19 between June 1, 2020 and April 15, 2022, and abstracted demographic and medical history, characteristics of acute COVID-19 illness, and COVID-19 vaccination status. We defined PASC as ongoing/new symptoms present at 6 weeks or longer following acute COVID-19 diagnosis.
Results: Among 208 SOTRs with acute COVID-19, 72 (35%) developed PASC. Common symptoms were respiratory symptoms (67%), headache (40%), and difficulty concentrating (10%). Severe acute COVID-19 disease and presence of respiratory symptoms were associated with higher odds of PASC in multivariable analyses, while receipt of at least one COVID-19 vaccination prior to transplantation was protective.
Conclusion: We found that PASC occurs in about a third of SOTRs with acute COVID-19 and has similar symptoms as described previously in immunocompetent hosts. Pre-transplant vaccination may be protective. Further prospective multicenter studies are needed.
Source: Sigler R, Covarrubias K, Chen B, Rubarth RB, Torosian K, Sanchez CR, Bharti A, DeGruttola V, Aslam S. Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 in solid organ transplant recipients. Transpl Infect Dis. 2023 Nov 3:e14167. doi: 10.1111/tid.14167. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37922371. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tid.14167 (Full text available as PDF file)