dotted activity during the second wave

“I’m in a waiting position”, Summarizes Claude Allary, 65, expecting a kidney transplant since July 2019. Like him, 16,000 French people are suspended from the phone call that could change their lives. Meanwhile Claude continues his dialysis. Four-hour sessions, three times a week to purify his blood, a job his kidney no longer does.

Not a stock that we can rebuild this way

Unlike other organs, the work of the kidney can be done by a machine. A reality that prompted health authorities to suspend these transplants during the first wave in the face of the uncertainty surrounding Covid-19. On September 22, the Biomedicine Agency issued recommendations indicating the need to maintain transplants despite the epidemic. Olivier Véran, the minister of health, also assured him that transplants must be maintained, in the same way as cancer treatments.

This decision to stop kidney transplants, although justified by the vagueness surrounding the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus at the time, had serious consequences for patients. During the first hospitalization, 220 kidney transplants were lost. “Unlike a shortage of masks, if a kidney was meant for you during the first wave, we can’t say it’s okay and we’ll call you back in two months. This person will be called back when another biologically close donor shows up. It is not a stock that can be rebuilt in this way. A recipient not only loses two months, but potentially loses a lot more”, Warns Alexandre Hertig, doctor in transplants at the Pitié Salpetrière hospital (Paris).

Dialysis limits the life of the graft

If the will of this second wave is to avoid reliving this situation, this complicates the situation. “The activity is not resumed as before for the simple reason that the intensive care units are saturated and it is impossible to prefer to allocate a bed to a donor in a state of brain death compared to a Covid patient who risks survival“, Justifies Alexandre Hertig. To avoid having to make choices, the Agency for Biomedicine has called hospitals where it is possible to set up Covid negative zones and facilities to coordinate the transfer of patients if necessary.”The teams were expected to organize themselves from 23 September to implement inter-hospital agreements., continues Magali Leo, spokesperson for Renaloo, an association for patients with renal insufficiency. But today there is no trace of these organizations and we do not know what will happen to patients.. “

Although these patients are not waiting for these dialysis transplants, this situation weakens their health and makes future transplants more uncertain. “The general health of a patient awaiting transplant may deteriorate and the longer he remains on dialysis, the shorter the duration of the transplant.“, Magali Leo supports. Beyond the transplant, it is the daily life of dialysis patients that suffers.”I am very limited in my travels and personal projects, testifies Claude Allary. Outside the period of the pandemic, it is almost impossible to travel. Right now I have real estate projects and everything is waiting. “

The emerging mild epidemic stasis and the declining number of daily hospitalizations suggest an improvement in the situation for patients awaiting transplantation. “Collaboration is happening slowly, assures Alexandre Hertig. Discussions between hospitals have begun. “Should a third wave come, the nephrologist wants to reassure and believes that our hospitals have the capacity to take care of everyone.”In Paris, for example, the Necker hospital, which specializes in paediatrics, has already offered to free up beds for transplants.. “