Special public comment proposal
A special public comment proposal, Incorporating COVID-19 Related Organ Failure in Candidate Listings, was issued Aug. 31 and is now available through Oct. 1. The proposal is sponsored by the Lung Transplantation Committee and would add COVID-19: ARDS and COVID-19: pulmonary fibrosis under Diagnosis Group D in OPTN Policy 10.1.F.i Lung Disease Diagnosis Groups. These diagnoses would also be made available in the dropdown menu for listing lung candidates in WaitlistSM. Read the proposal here. See all of the proposals issued for summer 2020 public comment and add your voice.
OPO testing of deceased donors ensures patient safety
A July 1, 2020, report prepared for the Executive Committee of the OPTN Board of Directors shows that all OPOs that recovered donors since April 21 reported COVID-19 donor testing results through the donor infectious disease fields in DonorNet, or through free-text fields or attachments. As of the date of the report, 100 percent of donors have been tested and no organs from donors testing positive for COVID-19 have been transplanted. Learn more here.
Current state of organ donation and transplantation: Latest data
The waitlist snapshot is updated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Transplants by week and deceased donors recovered by week are updated every Monday. Check the data visualization tool on the UNOS COVID-19 resources page for more information.
Back-to-school information for transplant families
The Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society has posted a fact sheet for parents of transplant recipients returning to school this fall. Access it from the COVID-19 resources page on Transplant Living.
Answers to patient questions about COVID-19
Navigating the coronavirus pandemic is difficult for everyone, but brings special challenges for transplant patients. UNOS Chief Medical Officer David Klassen, M.D., answers questions for patients about COVID-19 and the waitlist, inactivation, donor testing and other important topics.
Reminders
- Register now for summer 2020 virtual regional meetings.
- OPTN committee meetings will be held virtually through Oct. 31. A list of all scheduled meetings will be updated on the calendar of events on the OPTN website to reflect this change. For questions and requests, please e-mail [email protected].
- Site surveys will be held virtually through Oct. 31. Please email [email protected] with any questions about virtual site surveys or monitoring during COVID-19.
- COVID-19 operational actions to remain in effect through Dec. 31.
For COVID-19 related policy and operational questions, contact [email protected].
Stay current
We will continue to update the UNOS COVID-19 resources page as guidance is developed and enhanced.
