The Kidney and COVID-19: Pandemic Effects on the Patients

Abstract

COVID-19 pathogens were identified as new coronaviruses by the sequencing of sample lower respiratory tracts from patients affected, which share a sequence of 79.6 percent identified as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. The virus has spread rapidly worldwide and was reported as a pandemic on 11 March 2020 since its detection in Wuhan, China in December 2019. The principal characteristics of COVID-19 were diffuse alveolar damage and acute respiratory failure, involving other organs. Although co-morbidities such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease have reported as risk factors of COVID-19, there is still no proof of an increased vulnerability to chronic renal disease in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKDs), although there are several studies continuing worldwide. CKD is differentiated by kidney structure abnormalities or functions which last > 3 months and have an impact on patient health. The deaths were not specifically caused by COVID-19, but were considered systemic causes. In HD patients with COVID-19 there were decreased lymphopenia, reduced serum levels of inflammatory receptors and more severe clinical disease than patients with HD CKD. Therefore, additional precautions should be taken in CKD patients to minimize risk of the infection. Doctors can also be carefully watched to identify signs of worsening of the disease in CKD patients with confirmed COVID-19.