Belatacept and Covid

[Transplant2018]

Have any of you taking Belatacept had Covid? If so, what was the course of your illness like? What treatments, if any, did you receive? Were you advised to adjust your other immunosuppressants?

[LavenderRabbit]

I find it odd that nobody has replied to you yet. I am on Belatacept, but have not had Covid. I would love to hear from someone who has. I did ask my coordinator about how transplant patients were handling Covid. She said, now that the Omicron variant was here , most people where handling it well enough at home. That if I came down with it, I should call the clinic so they could give me the medicine ( I forget the name) that they give people now.

[Transplant2018 in reply to LavenderRabbit]

Thanks, LavenderRabbit. Let's hope we both continue not to get infected with Covid!

[Denise-80]

I’m on Bela but have not had covid. I saw doctor on Monday who said transplant patients they are seeing are doing much better with covid than they were last year. She didn’t say which med they were receiving but said as soon as someone reports they have covid, they are scheduled for the med (I assumed the monoclonal antibody but I don’t know). She also said their patients who have gotten covid over last year have have done very well…recovered well and quickly on the med. Sorry, I know this does not answer your question, but it sounds like my doctor is saying something similar to LavenderRabbit’s.

[Transplant2018 in reply to Denise-80]

Thanks, Denise. Those of us on Bela generally had very poor responses to the vaccine, puttin us at higher risk, but in the long-term Bela should be better for our kidneys.

[Porter20]

Why is Bela better?

[Transplant2018]

Studies show it maintains higher level of kidney function compared with tacrolimus, but it also has some disadvantages, including higher levels of acute rejection and preventing a response to Covid vaccines.