High rates of kidney damage are prominent in several COVID-19 patients. The symptoms can be mild, as well as severe. Here are some important points one can consider in this aspect. 

What are the precautions for kidney patients to be taken considering COVID-19?

The patients suffering from COVID-19 have the highest chances of getting acute kidney problems. As a precautionary measure, the patients at high risk should do the following;-

  • Wash your hands frequently with soap or hand wash
  • Do not touch your face, eyes, and nose
  • Use alcohol-based sanitizers to keep your hands germ-free
  • Avoid going to crowded places like shopping centers, cinema hall, etc
  • Wear masks whenever you are in the public
  • Keep safe distance with others, especially those who are sick
  • Contact the medical helplines as soon as you notice any symptoms like cough, high fever, breathing problems
  • Keep a stock of emergency supplies like food, medicines, etc. 

Can I get diagnosed on an emergency basis?

If you find the signs of any symptoms of COVID-19, call the nearest dialysis center. You can also contact your nephrologist or the helpline numbers for COVID-19. Schedule an appointment with your kidney specialist or get a suitable time to visit any other dialysis center if there are not enough beds.

Is there more chance of getting attacked by Coronavirus if I have kidney disorders?

The following group of people has the highest chances of occurrences of COVID-19;-

  • Elderly people
  • People suffering from acute health issues including cardiovascular diseases, asthma, weak immune system, HIV, diabetes, chronic kidney disease
  • Pregnant woman

In case you had kidney transplantation or are taking a high dosage of medicines, you may be at a higher risk than others. Hence, strictly follow all the necessary precautions to avoid COVID-19 attacks. 

What are the kidney-friendly foods to stock in this pandemic?

In this pandemic situation of COVID-19, food delivery from outside is not at all recommended. Please try to cook at home only and avoid all the restaurant foods. There are a lot of apps today for the delivery of groceries at your doorstep. Contact with them and maintain a safe distance while taking the delivery. 

Visit the website  to learn about the emergency food articles that you can stock in your freezer or refrigerator to avoid going to markets frequently. 

What to do if I am suffering from depression?

If you are undergoing the dialysis of COVID-19 and suffering from depression, please consult with your nephrologist immediately. The support of your counselor is highly needed at such crucial periods. Mental health counseling is a must during the dialysis as the high-dosage of medications can affect you both physically and mentally. Some tips for anxiety and depression are as follows;-

  • Breathing exercises
  • Meditation
  • Physical exercises
  • Mindful thinking
  • Practice having sufficient hours of sound sleep
  • Journaling

Can I miss by dialytic treatments for COVID-19?

You should never miss your treatments when you are undergoing dialysis for COVID-19. In case of any sickness or other concerns, please consult your dialysis center immediately. Always maintain proper hygiene around you and avoid going out. No medicines should be skipped. For a speedy recovery, listen to all the instructions of the healthcare team. 

What are the effects on patients with Acute Kidney Injury(AKI) and Chronic Kidney Disease(CKD)?

COVID-19 is likely to attack patients suffering from Acute Kidney Injury or Chronic Kidney Disease. The primary symptoms of detecting kidney disease in the patient are swelling, nausea, vomiting, weakness, fatigue and many non specific. On investigations in blood test high creatinine levels or the presence of a high level of proteins in urine. Unfortunately, the mortality rates are higher for people with severe kidney issues. Hence, they should be extra cautious and try to prevent the occurrence of COVID-19. These patients are supposed to regularly consult a kidney specialist and do as per the nephrologist’s instruction. Regular monitoring of those patients is required who has high creatinine in blood and protein in the urine. They are at high risk of getting chronic kidney disease that can be progressed to  end-stage kidney disease also. Immediate treatment and medications can reduce the severity of the case. But, the recovery rates are not very high for such kidney-affected patients. 

Can Coronavirus cause kidney damage?

According to recent cases, it is evident that Coronavirus is targeting the lungs and the kidneys more. Thus, for COVID-19 patients can lead to Acute Kidney Injury(AKI). Such damage in the kidney is not very chronic. But, there are high possibilities that the subsequent stages can be severe for the patient. Proper treatment can cause the recovery of these patients. However, after discharge also, these patients can suffer from low kidney function. 

Early reports from the USA and China show that around 30% of the COVID-19 hospitalized patients have symptoms of mild or moderate kidney damages. Many patients even have high blood pressure or diabetes. Even those who did not have any kind of kidney problems are also suffering from kidney issues after the COVID19 infection. The coexistence of multiple health issues can be dangerous for COVID-19 patients and also requiring dialysis in severe AKI. Hence, the dialysis procedure should be more stringent. Every dialysis center should ensure that there are enough medicines, and they are never out of stock. Abnormal blood through urine should be immediately reported to the physicians for prompt treatment. 

What are the possibilities for kidney damage in the case of COVID-19?

Till now, the exact impact of Coronavirus on the kidneys is not entirely clear. However, the experts suggest a few of the instances in which you can suffer from kidney damage. 

  • Coronavirus can infect the kidney cells and cause potential damage to them. The receptors present in these cells attract the deadly virus and allow them to produce replicas of themselves. Such receptors are also present in the heart and lungs. Hence, new Coronavirus can be found in those cells, too, and the effects of which can be severe. 
  • Malfunctioning of kidneys can cause due to lack of a sufficient amount of oxygen in the organs. The COVID-19 patients show symptoms of breathlessness and lack of oxygen in the blood. Hence, the virus can attack the kidney and even cause pneumonia.
  • The newly born Coronavirus is highly powerful, and the reaction can take your life too. The response can go to an extreme level and give rise to cytokine storms within the patient’s body. This case involves the rapid movement of cytokines inside the body. Actually, these are small proteins that play a leading role in enabling communication between the cells when the immunity system fights against any infection. However, a sudden generation of cytokine storm can cause an inflammatory situation. During the process of destroying the virus, it can severely hamper the kidney functioning. 
  • Due to COVID-19, there can be tiny clots in the blood. These may result in clogging of the blood vessels present in kidneys. In turn, the filtration process of the kidneys may get hampered, thus impairing the functions of it within the body. 

Due to all these symptoms, the nephrologists are always cautious about the impact of COVID-19 on kidneys as the after-effects can lead to severe kidney injury.