A family cluster of diagnosed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) kidney transplant recipient in Thailand

Abstract

© 2020 The Authors. Immunity, Inflammation and Disease published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes an ongoing outbreak of respiratory illness called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The clinical course could be ranging from mild to severe illness especially the individuals with an immunocompromised condition such as solid organ transplant recipients. Method: We described a family cluster of COVID-19 patients who were admitted during 3rd April 2020 to 30th April 2020. COVID-19 was confirmed by a presence of SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid in the respiratory specimens detected by a qualitative, real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The study focused on the clinical course and management of our cases. Results: A family cluster of four laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients, one of those carried an underlying kidney transplant (KT) receiving immunosuppressants. Clinical presentation and severity of our case series are variable depending on each individual immune status. By far, a KT recipient seems to develop more severity despite antiviral therapy, cessation of immunosuppressant, and aggressive intensive care support. Conclusion: Our case series plausibly affirmed a person-to-person transmission and potentially severe disease in the transplant population. Clinicians who are encountering with transplant recipients should be aware of possible transmission among family members.