A familial cluster, including a kidney transplant recipient, of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China

Am J Transplant. 2020 Jul;20(7):1869-1874. doi: 10.1111/ajt.15903. Epub 2020 Apr 17.

Abstract

In December 2019, an outbreak of COVID-19 occurred in Wuhan, China, and spread to the whole of China and to multiple countries worldwide. Unlike SARS and MERS, where secondary transmission mostly occurred in hospital settings, COVID-19 transmission occurs in large numbers within families. Herein we report three cases of a familial cluster with one family member being a kidney transplant recipient. The initial clinical symptoms of COVID-19 in these three patients were the same, but their progression was different. Based on the severity of clinical symptoms, chest computer tomography findings and SARS-Cov-2 RNA test results, we admitted the husband to the respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) and used a treatment consisting of immunosuppressant reduction/cessation and low dose methylprednisolone-based therapy, and his wife to the respiratory isolation ward. In contrast, the son received in-home isolation and home-based care. All three family members made a full recovery.

Keywords: COVID-19; kidney; novel coronavirus; pneumonia; transplantation; treatment.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Betacoronavirus
  • COVID-19
  • China / epidemiology
  • Coronavirus Infections / complications*
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / therapy*
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Disease Progression
  • Family Health
  • Female
  • Glomerulonephritis / complications
  • Glomerulonephritis / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / administration & dosage
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Intensive Care Units
  • Kidney Failure, Chronic / complications
  • Kidney Failure, Chronic / surgery*
  • Kidney Transplantation*
  • Male
  • Methylprednisolone / administration & dosage
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / complications*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral / therapy*
  • Radiography, Thoracic
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Methylprednisolone