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The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is a highly infectious and rapidly spreading disease. There are limited published data on the epidemiology and outcomes of COVID‐19 infection among organ transplant recipients. After initial flulike symptoms, progression to an inflammatory phase may occur, characterized by cytokine release rapidly leading to respiratory and multiorgan failure. We report the clinical course and management of a liver transplant recipient on hemodialysis, who presented with COVID‐19 pneumonia, and despite completing a 5‐day course of hydroxychloroquine, later developed marked inflammatory manifestations with rapid improvement after administration of off‐label, single‐dose tocilizumab. We also highlight the role of lung ultrasonography in early diagnosis of the inflammatory phase of COVID‐19. Future investigation of the effects of immunomodulators among transplant recipients with COVID‐19 infection will be important.

BackgroundTeaching interns patient-centered communication skills, including making structured telephone calls to patients following discharge, may improve transitions of care.ObjectiveTo explore associations between a patient-centered care (PCC) curriculum and patients’ perspectives of the quality of transitional care.MethodsWe implemented a novel PCC curriculum on one of four inpatient general medicine resident teaching teams in which interns make post-discharge telephone calls to patients, contact outpatient providers, perform medication adherence reviews, and engage in patient-centered discharge planning. Between July and November of 2011, we conducted telephone surveys of patients from all four teaching teams within 30 days of discharge. In addition to asking if patients received a call from their hospital physician (intern), we administered the 3-Item Care Transitions Measure (CTM-3), which assesses patients’ perceptions of preparedness for the transition from hospital to home (possible score range 0–100).ResultsThe CTM-3 scores (mean±SD) of PCC team patients and standard team patients were not significantly different (82.4±17.3 vs. 79.6±17.6, p=0.53). However, regardless of team assignment, patients who reported receiving a post-discharge telephone call had significantly higher CTM-3 scores than those who did not (84.7±16.0 vs. 78.2±17.4, p=0.03). Interns exposed to the PCC curriculum called their patients after discharge more often than interns never exposed (OR=2.78, 95% CI [1.25, 6.18], p=0.013).ConclusionsThe post-discharge telephone call, one element of PCC, was associated with higher CTM-3 scores – which, in turn, have been shown to lessen patients’ risk of emergency department visits within 30 days of discharge.