Decline in COVID cases

This will be a randomized trial of maintenance versus reduction in immunosuppression in adult patients (age >18 years old) with functioning renal transplants admitted to hospital with confirmed COVID-19 disease.

The optimal management of immunosuppression in renal transplant patients with COVID-19 disease is unclear. On one hand, many centers advocate reduction of immunosuppression in infected patients, with the rationale that such an approach will unleash the anti-viral T-cell response. However, on the other hand, some centers advocate there may be rationale to maintain baseline immunosuppression in order to mitigate against development of an uncontrolled over-activation of the immune response. The investigators propose to address this knowledge gap by performing a randomized clinical trial that will test formal comparisons of maintenance versus reduction in immunosuppression.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults ≥18 years
• COVID positive by RT-PCR or serology
• ≥ 6 months post-transplant
• use of anti-metabolite (mycophenolate or azathioprine) and calcineurin inhibitor (cyclosporin or tacrolimus)
• informed consent; first admission during study period
• participation within 72 hours of hospitalization

Exclusion Criteria:

• ICU care or need for invasive ventilation or use of pressors at screening/randomization
• COVID-19 disease severity score more than 5 at screening/randomization
• Known donor specific antibody
• eGFR <20ml/min/1.73m2
• hematocrit <24%
• biopsy proven and treated rejection within last 3 months
• institutionalized individuals (prisoners)
• pregnancy
• participation in another clinical study with an investigational medicinal product within 30 days or within 5 half-lives of such, whichever is longer, prior to randomization and during the study
• any other conditions, which, in the opinion of the investigator would make the subject unsuitable.

This is a single-blind trial, in that only the assessor will be blinded to the treatment assignment.