How Covid-19 has affected heart transplants

Many medical procedures unrelated to Covid-19 have seen a recent dip as a result of the pandemic, and heart transplants seem to be no exception. According to a new study, 600 people were taken off waitlists — a 75% increase — for a heart transplant in the two months between mid-March and mid-May (which the authors considered the Covid-19 period), compared to around 340 during the first two months of the year. There was also a 70% drop in waitlist additions in the Northeast, although some other parts of the U.S. also experienced a drop. Recovery of hearts from deceased donors decreased 26% during the Covid-19 period than before this duration. And with the exception of the Northwest, all other regions of the country saw a decrease in the volume of heart transplants.