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Woman dies after receiving lungs from Covid-19 infected donor

A woman who contracted Covid-19 after receiving a double lung transplant died last year, with doctors revealing the donor had the virus despite testing negative.

Officials at the University of Michigan Medical School believe it may be the first confirmed case of coronavirus transmission via an organ transplant, NBC News reported,

According to a report published in the American Journal of Transplantation, three days after the transplant, the unnamed recipient developed a fever, her blood pressure dropped and she suffered breathing problems.

A transplant recipient contracted Covid-19 from donor's lungs. Source: Getty Images
A transplant recipient contracted Covid-19 from donor's lungs. Source: Getty Images

The donor was swab tested within 48 hours after the donors lungs being procured, though no testing was done on the lower respiratory tract.

It wasn't until later it was discovered the donor had Covid, when fluid from the lungs were tested for coronavirus.

Dr Daniel Kaul, director of Michigan Medicine’s transplant infectious disease service, said the lungs would have never been used for the transplant if they had known the donor was infected with Covid-19.

According to NBC News, the woman's health deteriorated rapidly, with several of her organs failing and known Covid treatments not working.

She was placed on life support and died 61 days after the transplant

The surgeon who handled the infected lungs was confirmed to have Covid-19 four days after the operation.

The report suggested transplant centres and organ procurement organisations should test the lower respiratory tract from potential lung donors and more enhanced PPE for those involved in the procurement and procedure.

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