Title:COVID-19 Caused by the Omicron Variant in Lung Transplant
Recipients: A Single Center Case Series
Abstract
Background: Limited data are available regarding the infection
status, clinical characteristics, treatments and outcomes of lung
transplant recipients (LTRs) afflicted with coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in China.
Methods: We conducted a study on LTRs with COVID-19 caused by
the Omicron Variant from November 17, 2022, to May 1, 2023. Clinical
information was gathered retrospectively through electronic medical
records, questionnaires, or follow-up telephone calls. Results:
178 LTRs with COVID-19 were included, with 50% (89/178) requiring
hospitalization for an average stay of 16 days (IQR: 9.5-25.5 days). The
most common symptoms were fever (79.8%), dry cough (75.3%) and fatigue
(61.8%). Ultimately, 17 recipients succumbed to COVID-19-related
respiratory failure or secondary multiple organ dysfunction, resulting
in an overall mortality rate of 9.6%. Of the 89 hospitalized patients,
41.6% (37/89) eventually progressed to severe or critical disease,
forming the Severe/Critical Group (S/C group), while the remaining
58.4% (52/89) had mild to moderate disease (M/M group). In comparison
to the M/M group, the S/C group had higher CRP (59.6 vs. 16.8 mg/L,
P<0.01), ESR (45.5 vs. 22.5mm/h, P<0.01) and D-dimer
(1.09 vs. 0.65 mg/L, P<0.05), but lower CD3 +
T lymphocytes (577 vs. 962 cells/ul, P<0.01) and CD4
+ T lymphocytes (217 vs. 427 cells/ul,
P<0.01). The S/C group had significantly higher rates of
combined pulmonary bacterial infection (67.6% vs. 38.5%,
P<0.01) and pulmonary fungal infection (73.0% vs. 38.5%,
P<0.01) during the course of COVID-19, nearly double that of the
M/M group. In a multivariate logistic analysis, elevated CRP
(>41.8mg/L), combined pulmonary fungal infection, and
interstitial lung disease(ILD) as primary disease emerged as high-risk
factors for developing the severe disease phenotype following Omicron
variant infection in LTRs, with respective OR values of 4.23 (95% CI:
1.68-11.23), 4.76 (95% CI: 1.59-15.64), and 5.13 (95% CI: 1.19-29.17).
Conclusions: LTRs displayed an increased vulnerability to
combined lung bacterial or fungal infections following Omicron
infection. CRP> 41.8mg/L, ILD as primary disease, and
combined pulmonary fungal infection are high-risk factors for developing
severe disease.