Organ donation during COVID-19
April 22, 2020
Sheila Harris
According to Rob Chappel, owner of Chappel Crematory in Webb City, his company has a contract with Midwest Transplant Network in Kansas City, to transport prospective organ donors to their facility for organ recovery.
Michala Stoker, Public Relations Manager for Midwest Transplant, said COVID-19 tests are routinely performed on all prospective organ donors.
“If a test comes back positive,” she said, “organs are not used for transplant.”
“Prospective tissue donations are handled a bit differently,” she explained. “Because tissue must be recovered within 24 hours of the time of death, we recover the tissue, then put it on hold until COVID-19 test results come in. Other organs are not procured until, or if, negative test results come back.”
“April,” Stoker said, “is National Donate Life Month, a time to remind people that organ donations do save lives.”
Stoker said it’s too early to determine whether COVID-19 is affecting the number of donated organs.
According to Rob Chappel, owner of Chappel Crematory in Webb City, his company has a contract with Midwest Transplant Network in Kansas City, to transport prospective organ donors to their facility for organ recovery.
Michala Stoker, Public Relations Manager for Midwest Transplant, said COVID-19 tests are routinely performed on all prospective organ donors.
“If a test comes back positive,” she said, “organs are not used for transplant.”
“Prospective tissue donations are handled a bit differently,” she explained. “Because tissue must be recovered within 24 hours of the time of death, we recover the tissue, then put it on hold until COVID-19 test results come in. Other organs are not procured until, or if, negative test results come back.”
“April,” Stoker said, “is National Donate Life Month, a time to remind people that organ donations do save lives.”
Stoker said it’s too early to determine whether COVID-19 is affecting the number of donated organs.