COVID 19 AND THE KIDNEY- A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Abstract

Abstract COVID-19 pandemic presents a variety of serious challenges to the nephrology community. First is the emergence of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) in the context of SARS-Cov-2 virus infection, which dramatically influenced the incidence of AKI in most communities with a high prevalence of infection, and also added significantly to the recorded mortality from AKI. Haemodialysis practice has of necessity changed in the light of the recognized cluster exposure of patients during treatment, and the need to enforce strict infection control protocols in the haemodialysis Centres has become exceedingly vital. Kidney transplantation activities were suspended for an extended period during the year, and in most Centres, activities resumed in the last quarter of the year with a lot of caution. This literature review attempts to provide a panoramic view of current knowledge on COVID-19 and the kidney. As new clinical data on renal disease characteristics and outcomes in COVIDâ€19 emerge, our knowledge of kidney involvement in COVID-19 may change substantially due to time period effects. Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Acute Kidney Injury, Chronic Kidney Disease.