Organ Care System for Liver: An Overview of COVID-19 Impact on Liver Transplant Patients in Different Regions

The COVID-19 or coronavirus pandemic is possessing an enormous challenge to the healthcare systems, especially in affected communities. Those with pre-existing medical conditions and older age population have been identified as people at risk of a severe disease course. However, it remains unclear at this point due to shortage of appropriate studies as to what level chronic diseases in liver should be considered as risk factors. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the people with chronic disease in liver have a higher risk of severe diseases if they contact COVID-19. Thus, the demand for organ care system is increasing in these unprecedented times.

As per a new Research Dive published report, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the growth of the global organ care system for liver market in a positive way. Over the past few decades, an increasing number of people are observed consuming alcohol, which is resulting in rising cases of liver failure. Therefore, an organ care system technology in liver transplantation, plays a crucial role by keeping the donor organ in maintained and human-like state.

COVID-19 and OCS for Liver for Transplants

People using organ care system for liver for transplants are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection owing to hospitalization. Since transplants cannot be postponed, an appropriate information is required regarding what happens if people who have lately undergone liver transplants become infected with COVID-19 and what percentage of patients are becoming infected.

The specialists of liver in New York have reported a high frequency of critical COVID-19 cases in liver transplant recipients who got infected with COVID-19 disease. Thus, a surges in demand for organ care system for liver is witnessed in the North America region. In order to meet the demand of supply for organ care system for liver, many manufacturers are investing more in R&D activities and implementing several strategies.

In Europe, the liver specialists in Italy reported 15 out of 17 patients required organ care system for liver to undergo liver transplants in February 2020. However, these patients remain free of COVID-19 disease, according to American Journal of Transplantation. The transplant doctors at Columbia University with the help of PCR testing identified 90 cases of coronavirus in people who had used an organ care system for liver transplant at their clinics.

In China, the hospitalized patients for liver transplant were at higher risk to contact COVID-19 infection, stated the investigators. According to the statistics provided by these investigators, one in four transplant patients hospitalized died of COVID-19, which is about 18% of all the transplant patients presenting with COVID-19.

The Impact of COVID-19 on OCS for Liver Industry

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the organ care system for liver market is progressing rapidly. The growing usage of organ care system for liver allows to preserve the liver for a longer period of time after separation from the donor body. The rising healthcare expenditure and increasing R&D spending are likely to create enormous growth opportunities in the industry during the forecast period. In addition, improvisation in standard of living and the increase in number of cases of liver diseases are making the manufacturers to invest more in the organ care system for liver market in the projected timeframe.

Urgent lifesaving organ transplant are continuing all across the globe. Though the pandemic has stopped the whole world from past few months, the hospital and healthcare industries are working with their day-to-day operational tasks, which is estimated to increase the use of the organ care system for liver machine at a larger extent.

About the Author(s)

Princy A. J

Princy holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. University at Chennai, India. After a successful academic record, she pursued her passion for writing. A thorough professional and enthusiastic writer, she enjoys writing on various categories and advancements in the global industries. She plays an instrumental role in writing about current updates, news, blogs, and trends.