COVID-19 Pandemic Increased Risk of Kidney Disease in Patients: Study

People with kidney problems were at 40 times higher risk of hospitalization and death due to the Covid-19 pandemic during the second quarter of 2020, say researchers.

Approximately 800,000 people receive treatment for kidney failure in the United States, either by undergoing dialysis or living with a kidney transplant.

The risks of dying from any cause were 17 percent and 30 percent higher during the second quarter of 2020 among patients receiving dialysis and patients with kidney transplants, respectively.

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Among patients undergoing dialysis, the rate of Covid-19 hospitalizations peaked between March 22 and April 25, last year.

During this time, patients on dialysis were hospitalized 17 percent less frequently than typical for reasons other than Covid-19.

"The trajectory of the rate of Covid-19 hospitalizations among dialysis patients tracked the corresponding trajectory in the general population, but was roughly 40 times higher in magnitude," said Eric D Weinhandl, Chronic Disease Research Group, Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute in Minnesota, US.

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"This study suggests that the effect of the initial phase of the pandemic on both dialysis and kidney transplant patients has been profound," Weinhandl added.

The study suggests prioritizing kidney failure patients in Covid-19 vaccination schedules. The findings are forthcoming in the journal JASN. (IANS/KR)