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.
Distribution of sotrovimab paused nationwide
The National Institute of Health’s (NIH) COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel no longer recommends sotrovimab as a treatment option for nonhospitalized patients, citing substantially decreased in vitro activity against the dominant COVID-19 subvariant Omicron BA.2. Read the latest recommendations from NIH here.
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.
Reminders
Second booster dose of two COVID-19 vaccines authorized by the FDA for older and immunocompromised individuals
- Emergency use authorizations have been amended for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
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
To help you share updates and resources about COVID-19 prevention with your patients, here is information you can copy and add to your regular communications. 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
- Why are transplant recipients considered more vulnerable to illnesses like COVID?
- What are the recommended precautions immunocompromised people should take to protect against coronavirus?
- As a transplant recipient, do I qualify for an additional booster of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna) or a Johnson & Johnson vaccine?
- Distribution of sotrovimab paused nationwide
- FDA authorizes new monoclonal antibody for treatment of COVID-19 that retains activity against Omicron variant
- FDA authorizes second booster dose of two vaccines for older and immunocompromised individuals
- 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 AST
This information is not intended as specific health advice. If you have more detailed questions, contact your medical provider.
