covid-19 infection in heart transplant recipients: results of a six-month prospective survey-based study

Solid-organ transplantation recipients were assumed highly vulnerable to coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19). however, the results of previous studies in patients with orthotopic heart transplantation (oht) under immunosuppressive therapy are contradictory. therefore, we aimed to assess the prevalence of covid-19 infection and associated risk factors, along with the six-month outcomes in covid-19 positive oht patients. this single-center telephone-based survey was conducted on oht patients. using a detailed questionnaire, exposure to covid-19, related symptoms, and preventive self-care measures were collected. outcomes of covid-19-positive patients were reassessed using another survey six months later. 118 oht patients (male: n=87, 73.7%) were included with a mean age of 45.3±13.1 years. sixteen patients (13.5%) reported one or more symptoms compatible with covid-19, of whom 12 (10.2%) tested positive. our results indicated no statistically significant association between covid-19 and comorbidities. poor adherence to self-care measures and contact with positive index cases were both significantly associated with covid-19 infection (p<0.001). a later six months follow-up showed that two out of 12 (16.6%) covid-19 positive oht patients died. there was no statistically significant difference between the prevalence of covid-19 in our patients compared to iran’s general population (p=251.0). non-compliance with personal protective protocols and a history of contact with covid-19 cases were the most risk factors for covid-19 infection in oht patients.