Why do people with kidney disease infected with Covid-19 often develop severe and critical symptoms?

05/07/2021 15:47

In reality, the 3^rd and 4^th time of pandemic showed that cases of kidney disease when infected with Covid-19 will progress quickly, even caused death.

 

 

Patient No. 5463, 37 years old – female, daughter of a restaurant’s owner at 287 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Alley, Dist. 3, Ho Chi Minh city died on 2^nd June 2021. Before being infected with COVID-19, patients had chronic renal failure at the last stage. The respiratory condition was getting worse, patients had septic shock resulting a poor response to high doses of vasopressors, and led to death.

 

Patient died due to severe COVID-19 with septic shock, heart failure on atopic hypertension, last stage of chronic renal failure. 

 

Previously, during the pandemic outbroke in hospitals in Da Nang, there were 20 patients infected with Covid-19 died while having chronic kidney disease.

 

3 reasons why COVID-19 is a special threat to patients with chronic kidney disease

 

Dr. Nguyen The Cuong – MD, PhD – Head of Kidney Diseases and Dialysis Department, Viet Duc University Hospital said, according to researches, patients with chronic kidney disease may increase the risk of being infected with pathologies, including COVID-19. 

 

‘‘The first reason is the patients with chronic kidney disease have poor immune system, immunity respond poorly, and tend to develop severely which leads to higher chance of dead. Another reason is that hemodialysis patients will have to go to hospital for dialysis 3 times a week, 4 hours each time. With travel, exposure to many different epidemiological sources will increase the risk of COVID-19 for this group.  

 

Moreover, hemodialysis patients are often older, around 60 years old with many underlying diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, hepatitis, cirrhosis… Even some have used long-term immunosuppression drugs to treat pre-existing kidney disease. 

 

Therefore, they easily get infected diseases and afterward might have serious complications”, Dr. Nguyen The Cuong – MD, PhD mentioned.

 

Recommendations for patiens with chronic kidney disease during the pandemic

 

 

COVID-19 poses a particular threat to patients with chronic kidney disease, especially those on dialysis and kidney transplants. In particular, kidney transplant patients should take recommended measures to prevent infection. All patients should strictly follow doctor’s instructions.

 

Dr. Nguyen The Cuong – MD, PhD emphasized, patients must strictly follow instructions of Ministry of Health and medical staff about hands hygiene, keeping respirational clean, wearing mask as much as possible, keep distance; health declares honestly, when there are symptoms of coughing, fever or related health symptoms needs to call dialysis unit before arrival.

 

“Patients need to wear mask as much as possible, especially while getting dialysis procedure, or moving and interacting with others.

 

Health declares actively, interaction history, whether living area is under quarantine in order to get instructions and help. Immediately notify medical staff about symptoms like: Fever, sore throat, stuffiness, body aches, olfactory decreasing. 

 

Patients do not eat or drink, talk in dialytic room. When coughing, sneezing needs to cover their mouth, spitting out phlegm, then use a tissue to wipe their mouth and put it in a plastic bag and put in the medical trash, then wash hands carefully. Patients should go home immediately after dialytic procedure, shower with warm water and change into new clothes”. Dr. Nguyen The Cuong – MD, PhD suggested.

 

Additionally, patients on dialysis may raise their vigilance and the spirit of disease prevention, including eating and hygiene scientifically, vitamin supplementary and appropriate physical exercise to improve resistance. Keep the room clean, well-ventilated, washing hands and disinfect surfaces regularly.