Help answer your patients’ important questions
See the patient-friendly information section below for the latest news about COVID-19 therapeutics and treatment, as well as answers to patients’ frequently asked questions.
Help your patients locate Evusheld therapy
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services maintains a national map displaying public locations that have received shipments of COVID-19 therapeutics such as Evusheld, Molnupiravir and Bebtelovimab. These therapies require a prescription, and the locator is intended for provider use.
OPTN COVID-19 Policy 1.4.F to expire soon
OPTN Policy 1.4.F (Updates to Candidate Data During COVID-19 Emergency) will expire after Monday, April 11. Reinstated in January 2022, this policy authorized transplant programs, as needed, to “carry forward” the most recent clinical data available when obtaining updated data was not feasible due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. After April 11, please report candidate data according to the standard requirements outlined in OPTN policy for the affected organ type(s).
FDA authorizes second booster dose of two COVID-19 vaccines for older and immunocompromised individuals
Emergency use authorizations have been amended for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
Reminders
New treatment guidelines from NIH
- The National Institute of Health (NIH) has updated their Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Guidelines with the latest developments in COVID-19 treatment for health care providers and patients.
- Recent update: NIH statement on an increase to the recommended dose of Evusheld for the prevention of COVID-19 infection
- Read all of the NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines here.
COVID-19 data element added to Center STAR files
- The ‘COVID information for Donor’ data collection field provides transplant hospitals a standard definition for a COVID-19 positive donor based on test COVID-19 results collected in DonorNet®. The new data collection element is:
- COVID_POS_DON (CHAR(1)): Donor tested positive for COVID
- While all COVID-19 testing history is provided in Center STAR files for in-depth analysis, the new data element alleviates the need to create and calculate an ad hoc definition of COVID-19 positivity, and lets transplant hospitals quickly filter their data on a single data element. Center STAR files are accessible in Secure Enterprise℠. Learn more about Center STAR files.
Reporting COVID-19-related cause of death for transplant candidates and recipients
- Transplant programs reporting a cause of death for a transplant candidate or recipient in WaitlistSM or TIEDI® should select “Infection: Viral – COVID-19,” if the program believes to the best of its knowledge that COVID-19 was an underlying cause of death or a significant cause of death. This code was established in April 2020 to facilitate assessment of the disease’s impact on the candidate and recipient populations.
The latest data on organ donation and transplant in the U.S.
- Find high-level data on transplants, deceased donors recovered, patients added to the waitlist and patients temporarily moved to inactive waitlist status.
Questions
- For COVID-19 related policy and operational questions, email [email protected]
- For information and updates about the status of in-person vs. virtual OPTN committee meetings, check the OPTN calendar of events.
Patient-friendly information for members to share
This information is not intended as specific health advice. If you have more detailed questions, contact your medical provider. Find more information at TransplantLiving.org.
Transplant patients: Looking for answers to questions about COVID-19 and transplant?
Go to TransplantLiving.org for the latest news and resources, including:
Frequently asked questions and answers
- As a transplant recipient, do I qualify for a fourth dose of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna) or a Johnson & Johnson vaccine?
- What does it mean to be immunocompromised?
- What COVID-19 treatments are available for those who are immunosuppressed?
- FDA authorizes second booster dose of two COVID-19 vaccines for older and immunocompromised individuals
- FDA authorizes new monoclonal antibody for treatment of COVID-19 that retains activity against Omicron variant
- National Institute of Health (NIH) statement on an increase to the recommended dose of Evusheld for the prevention of COVID-19 infection
- The COVID-19 Vaccine: What does it mean for our transplant recipient children? Presented by Transplant Families and the American Society of Transplantation (AST)
- COVID-19 and Transplant: Patient questions answered. Hosted by UNOS Chief Medical Officer, David Klassen, M.D.
- Information about COVID-19 vaccines for Hispanic patients from the American Society of Transplantation (AST)
