COVID-19 infection is mild and has minimal impact on lung function in well vaccinated and widely treated lung transplant recipients

Abstract

BackgroundCOVID-19 has become a common infection affecting lung transplant recipients (LTR), who are at high risk for poor outcomes. Outcomes early in the pandemic were poor, but since the rollout of vaccination and novel COVID-19 treatments, outcomes of LTR have not been well described. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on the clinical course and lung function trajectory in an Australian cohort of LTR. MethodsData was retrospectively collected from LTR with confirmed COVID-19 managed at Alfred Health, between August 2020 and December 2022. Baseline demographics, COVID-19 disease details (including severity) and spirometry pre and post infection have been analysed. ResultsA total of 279 LTR were included. The cohort was comorbid, but well vaccinated, with 275/279 (98.6%) having >2 COVID-19 vaccines at symptom onset. Severe disease occurred in only 17 cases (6%) and overall mortality was very low (4%). Prompt treatment with antivirals, particularly remdesevir (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.04-0.81, p=0.02] and vaccination (OR 0.24, CI 0.08-0.81, p=0.01] were protective. There was not a clinically significant drop in lung function post COVID-19 with the median absolute decline in forced expiratory volume (FEV1) being 40mL (IQR 5-120mL, p<0.001), with a decline of >10% occurring in only 42 patients (17%). After multivariate adjustment, only rejection prior to COVID-19 was significantly associated with FEV1 decline afterwards (OR 3.74, 1.12-11.86, p=0.03). ConclusionsIn our highly COVID-19 vaccinated, promptly treated LTR, the majority of COVID-19 infections were mild and did not result in a clinically significant decline in lung function.