Kidney Transplantation during the COVID-19 Pandemic: From Past through Present Time of Emerging Vaccine
Authors:   Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, United States, Jittirat Arksarapuk , Eguchi Natsuki ,   Harold Simmons Center for Kidney Disease Research and Epidemiology, Division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, California, United States,   Division of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, California, United States, Tanphaichitr Natthavat ,   Department of Nephrology, Americare Kidney Institutes /Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center, Akron, Ohio, United States, Tomas Myreen ,   Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease and HIV, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States, Gundelly Praveen ,   Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease and HIV, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States, Zhao Kai ,   Department of Surgery, Division of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States, Herlitz Leal ,   Department of Anatomic Pathology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States, Chalicheemala Yasolatha ,   Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, United States, Yerneni Himabindu ,   Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, United States, Forbes Rachel C. ,   Department of Surgery, Division of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States, Concepcion Beatrice P. ,   Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States, Tantisattamo Ekamol ,   Harold Simmons Center for Kidney Disease Research and Epidemiology, Division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, California, United States,   Nephrology Section, Department of Medicine, Tibor Rubin Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Veterans Affairs Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, California, United States,   Multi-Organ Transplant Center, Section of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, William Beaumont Hospital, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Royal Oak, Michigan, United States
Published: February 2022

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted kidney transplantation worldwide. The rate of kidney transplantation decreased during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially living donor kidney transplantation. Kidney transplant recipients are at high risk of developing severe complications from COVID-19 due to underlying comorbidities and immunosuppressed status. Management of immunosuppression, including the induction therapy and maintenance immunosuppressive regimen, has been modified at many transplant centers during the pandemic. In severe acute respiratory virus syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infected kidney transplant recipients, the immunosuppression is usually reduced. The acute rejection treatment is usually individualized based on the risks and benefits. Several COVID-19 therapies have received emergency use authorization to prevent the progression of COVID-19 severity. Use of oral antiviral therapies is faced with challenges in terms of drug-drug interaction, drug efficacy, and lack of data in the transplant population. For COVID-19 prophylaxis in kidney transplant recipients, the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines is lower compared to the general population. Pre-exposure prophylaxis with a long-acting antibody combination may be an adjunct strategy for vaccination in kidney transplant recipients or those for whom COVID-19 vaccination is not contraindicated. Post-exposure prophylaxis remains to be studied. Further studies are necessary to establish standard guidelines of immunosuppressive management in kidney transplant recipients diagnosed with COVID-19 and to better understand the outcomes and adverse drug reactions of the therapeutic and prophylactic modalities including vaccination in this high-risk population.