Lakhasly

Since the first case discovered in Wuhan, China, in 2019, there have been over 5 million confirmed cases of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and over 30,000 deaths as of May 25th, 2020, with rapid expansion into over 150 countries [1,2].Patients had shown bilateral ground-glass opacities on computerized tomography (CT) scan revealing lung pathology, which contributed to the thought that COVID-19 predominantly affected the respiratory system [1].As investigations continued, new reports emerged that COVID-19 was not solely restricted to the respiratory system but impacted numerous others, including the nervous system, immune system, hematology, cardiac system, gastrointestinal system, and kidneys [1].Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on the renal system is tantamount as AKI may be associated with increased mortality, particularly for patients who require escalating treatment such as renal replacement therapy (RRT) [3].

Since the first case discovered in Wuhan, China, in 2019, there have been over 5 million confirmed cases of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and over 30,000 deaths as of May 25th, 2020, with rapid expansion into over 150 countries [1,2]. Initially, common symptoms were presented (usually 2–14 days after exposure), including fatigue, dry cough, fever, sore throat, diarrhea, and dyspnea [1,2]. Patients had shown bilateral ground-glass opacities on computerized tomography (CT) scan revealing lung pathology, which contributed to the thought that COVID-19 predominantly affected the respiratory system [1]. As investigations continued, new reports emerged that COVID-19 was not solely restricted to the respiratory system but impacted numerous others, including the nervous system, immune system, hematology, cardiac system, gastrointestinal system, and kidneys [1].

Prior studies had shown that the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in COVID-19 patients was speculated to be as high as 25% [3]. There were also autopsy reports showing evidence of viral tropism to the renal system. It was also shown that 60% of 147 patients with COVID-19 had experienced proteinuria, with 48% experiencing hematuria [3]. Lab values had demonstrated that patients experienced increased BUN and creatinine [3] showing further evidence of renal insult. Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on the renal system is tantamount as AKI may be associated with increased mortality, particularly for patients who require escalating treatment such as renal replacement therapy (RRT) [3].

In this manuscript, we discuss COVID-19 and its impact on the renal system. We also describe current research on diagnosing COVID -19 related kidney dysfunction, the mechanism of injury to the renal system, its cause of kidney dysfunction and effect on mortality, the impact on dialysis patients and renal transplant patients, and current treatments.