How is COVID-19 impacting organ donation and transplantation in the United States? UNOS provides latest data and updates

RICHMOND, Va., March 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Transplant centers and organ procurement organizations are working through this unprecedented event to continue to recover donated organs and perform transplants. United Network for Organ Sharing, in its role as the national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), continues to monitor and facilitate organ placement as usual.

As the situation continues to change rapidly, we are coordinating with transplant hospitals, organ procurement organizations and public health officials to provide up-to-date, accurate information. We have created an information page on COVID-19 that we are frequently updating with guidance as the community learns more about the prevalence, evaluation and treatment of the disease.

The page features:

• New data visualizations showing the effect of the pandemic on organ donation and transplantation on a national level. Data is updated daily.
• A recording of a webinar organized jointly by UNOS, the American Society of Transplantation and nearly a dozen other organizations on COVID-19's impact on organ donation and transplantation.
• Quick links to COVID-19 articles in transplant journals, guidance from transplant societies, and other resources.
• Information about an emergency policy to protect candidates' status on the transplant waitlist.
• Instructions for using tools to help get organ offers quickly to candidates and programs who are ready to transplant patients.

"UNOS is committed to supporting the donation and transplant community as they meet the challenges of the outbreak of COVID-19," said UNOS CEO Brian Shepard. "Communications and cooperation are hallmarks of our community, and they have never been more important than they are today. As transportation, logistics, testing, and treatment challenges impact donation and transplant, it is important that the community remains transparent and flexible."

United Network for Organ Sharing is a non-profit, charitable organization that serves as the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network under contract with the federal government. The OPTN helps create and define organ allocation and distribution policies that make the best use of donated organs. This process involves continuously evaluating new advances and discoveries so policies can be adapted to best serve patients waiting for transplants. All transplant programs and organ procurement organizations throughout the country are OPTN members and are obligated to follow the policies the OPTN creates for allocating organs.

SOURCE United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)

Related Links

http://www.unos.org

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