Kidney and Covid 19 Virus Pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19, a respiratory illness caused by a newly discovered coronavirus, has become a pandemic affecting over 1.9 million people with over 130,000 deaths in 210 countries. Some people become infected with the virus but do not develop symptoms. When they appear, symptoms are non-specific, with fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, fatigue, and headache being the most common. Symptoms are usually mild and benign in a vast majority (>80%) and recede gradually, leading to a full spontaneous recovery.

A small number become seriously ill, develop difficulty in breathing and complications related to other organs. They may require hospitalisation and a smaller subset need ICU care. The mortality is relatively higher in the latter group. This risk goes up in the elderly and those with co-morbidities (such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiac disease, kidney failure). Still, it is essential to emphasise that everybody is at risk for severe disease (including the relatively young and healthy dialysis staff). The strategy of physical distancing, case finding, contact tracing and quarantine/isolation of positive cases and highrisk contacts is critical to controlling the spread of this infection. This strategy is being implemented through nationwide lockdown during the period of intense transmission. Still, physical distancing is likely to remain in force after the end of the current lockdown to prevent disease spread