Pediatric transplantation during the COVID-19 pandemic

Children infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARSCoV-2) seem to have a better prognosis than adults. Nevertheless, pediatric solid organ transplantation(SOT) has been significantly affected by the unprecedented coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) pandemic during the pre-, peri-, and posttransplant period. Undoubtedly, immunosuppression constitutes a real challenge for transplant clinicians as increased immunosuppression may prolong disease recovery, while its decrease can contribute to more severe symptoms. To date, most pediatric SOT recipients infected by SARS-CoV-2 experience mild disease with only scarce reports of life-threatening complications. As a consequence, after an initial drop during the early phase of the pandemic, pediatric SOTs are now performed with the same frequency as during the pre-pandemic period. This review summarizes the currently available evidence regarding pediatric SOT during the COVID-19 pandemic.