COVID-19 in the immunocompromised population: data from renal allograft recipients throughout full cycle of the outbreak in Hubei province, China

[1] Currently, there are 4468 renal allograft recipients located in Hubei province participating in follow-up at these hospitals. [...]May 1, 2020, 31 recipients had been diagnosed with COVID-19 [Supplementary Table 1, http://links.lww.com/CM9/A576]. [...]in a high risk area, stricter self-protection strategies should be adopted to avoid infection. Early admission to the hospital, lower dose of maintenance immunosuppressants following transplantation, and early reduction of immunosuppressants might account for the relatively lower incidence of death. [...]although the use of corticosteroids in treating COVID-19 pneumonia remains controversial, a low dose of bolus corticosteroid (methylprednisolone 40–80 mg/day) was widely used in replacement of maintenance immunosuppressants in this cohort. According to experience from the management of cytomegalovirus infection, which is a common infectious complication after renal transplantation, a low dose of corticosteroid is a well-tolerable selection for the reduction of inflammation and cytokine release.