Long COVID Patients Face Organ Transplants, Long Hospital Stays

It’s become an all-too-common story for families across the country. Long COVID causing patients to look for vital organs after fighting for months in hospitals. 

“Rick was in the hospital 26 days on the ventilator 10 in ICU 20 days,” said Leslie Osborn.   

Families like the Osborn’s not able to see their loved ones for months as they lay in hospital beds, fighting for their lives. 

Doctors are working to find new ways to treat long COVID patients, with the goal of reuniting them with their loved ones. 

“That’s anything from fatigue but also memory loss, other things blood work can detect like kidney damage,” said Dr. Jad Kebbe with OU Health. 

The symptoms of long COVID become worse for those with preexisting conditions. 

“He has diabetes, and complications with being so severely ill with COVID harmed his kidneys,” said Rick’s Wife, Leslie Osborn.    

In 2021 Rick was admitted to the hospital, and the weeks he spent inside the hospital destroyed his kidneys. 

According to Johns Hopkins, more than 30% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 develop a similar side effect. More than 50% of patients in the intensive care unit with kidney injury may require dialysis. 

An average waiting time for a kidney is five years, and hundreds of Oklahomans are on a list for one. 

For more information about the Osborn’s fight, head to their Facebook Page. 

To get involved with kidney donations, follow this link.