Thaunat O, Legeai C, Anglicheau D, et al. - The risk of COVID-19 related death is increased for cases with end stage kidney disease as well as it is difficult to achieve social distancing with chronic hemodialysis. Alternatively, kidney transplantation, due to therapeutic immunosuppression, could enhance the severity of COVID-19 and contribute to saturation of intensive care units. In France for these reasons, suspension of kidney transplantation was done during the first epidemic wave. In this study, this strategy was retrospectively examined via comparing the overall and COVID-19 related mortality in kidney transplant recipients and candidates over the last 3 years. Assessing two national registries, researchers identified 275 deaths among the 42,812 kidney transplant recipients and 144 deaths among the 16,210 candidates for the period March 1 and June 1, 2020. This indicates an excess of deaths for both populations, relative to the same period the two previous years. Considering the size of the two populations and the geographical heterogeneity of virus circulation, they noted similar excess risk of death due to COVID-19 for recipients and candidates in high viral risk areas whereas in the low viral risk area, the risk was four-fold higher for candidates. In view of these observations, they emphasize suspending kidney transplantation in high viral risk areas in case of a second epidemic wave, but outside those areas, it should be maintained, both to decrease the excess of deaths of candidates and avoid wasting precious resources.