Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs About COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

Get answers to your questions about COVID-19 and organ donation.
Organ procurement organizations test all potential deceased donors for COVID-19 prior to offering the organs for transplant. Potential donors who test positive with active COVID-19 may not be able to donate. If someone recovers from COVID-19, then passes away from something unrelated, donation may be possible. If you are considering becoming a living donor, you will work with your health care team to receive a series of health screenings to determine your eligibility, which includes COVID-19 testing. If you test positive for COVID-19, you would not be eligible for living donation until your care team determines donation is safe for you and your recipient.

The American Society of Transplantation has published a Transplant Community FAQ resource providing detailed information for transplant recipients regarding COVID-19. The FAQ document is regularly updated with current information. Please contact your transplant program care team for further questions about your health needs.

The COVID-19 vaccine FAQ sheet from the American Society of Transplantation is a helpful resource regarding vaccine safety. Please contact your transplant program care team for further questions about your health needs.

Each transplant hospital makes its own decisions about listing and transplanting candidates according to the hospital’s best clinical judgment, including whether or not any specific vaccination is part of their eligibility criteria. If you have questions about listing or transplant criteria at your hospital, we encourage you to contact the hospital directly. For more information, please visit https://transplantliving.org/covid/