Establishment and Evolution of “Basic Guidelines for Transplantation Medicine against New Coronavirus Infections” by The Japan Society for Transplantation

Abstract

Before a state of national emergency was declared, The Japan Society for Transplantation (JST) formed task force committee against COVID-19 and published the first guidelines for general awareness and restriction of transplantation on March 6, 2020. JST published the second guidelines with Q&A for safe deceased organ donation on April 11, the third one with clinical questions on the treatment of the recipient with COVID-19 on May 8, and the fourth one with a check list for re-starting living renal transplantation on May 29. JST started the patient registry on COVID-19 recipients not only for epidemiologic data but also for providing treatment options to save them. JST had the webinar on COVID-19 prevention for donor coordinators who had little information on COVID-19 on May 2. JST is working very hard to keep transplantation active during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.