MONTREAL -- Transplant Quebec estimates that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused organ donations and transplants in the province to drop by 20 per cent last year.
Despite the decline, the organization reports that the list of people awaiting transplants has remained stable compared to previous years and that the number of deaths has even fallen by 14 per cent compared to 2019.
Transplant Quebec unveiled its results for the past year on Wednesday morning.
More specifically, it reports a 20 per cent decrease in people who received a transplant during the year 2020 (100 Quebecers less than in 2019) and an 18 per cent decrease in references from potential donors.
The results are attributed mainly to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact during the first wave, which raged from mid-March to mid-May. It is at this time that potential donor references significantly dropped. April was also the month in 2020 when the rate of referrals and donors was at its lowest, the Ministery of Health's organ donation body said.
"The results from last year are certainly mixed," said Transport Quebec acting director Sylvain Lavigne in a statement. "TThey reflect the impact of the pandemic at various levels, but donation activities never stopped."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2021. Watch the video above to see CTV's television report.
