COVID-19 in Dialysis Patients: Outlasting and Outsmarting a Pandemic

Hsu, Caroline M.; Weiner, Daniel E.

COVID-19 has affected dialysis patients and dialysis patient care worldwide. In this issue of Kidney International, three reports highlight the disproportionately severe impact of COVID-19 on dialysis patients, noting its high prevalence, particularly among in-center dialysis patients. This likely reflects patients’ limited ability to physically distance as well as community exposures, including residence in areas with high rates of infection. Dialysis patients are at extremely high risk should they develop COVID-19, with short-term mortality of 20% or higher. Accordingly, it is imperative that the kidney community intervene to reduce the threat of COVID-19 in the vulnerable population by focusing on modifiable factors, including universal masking of patients and staff and enhanced screening, including testing asymptomatic patients for COVID-19 in times of high local prevalence.