Kidney failure patients among worst affected during COVID-19

Around 30,000 people in the UK receive regular dialysis treatment - The main risk factors associated with the significantly higher numbers of COVID-19 infection in dialysis patients, have been revealed in a study led by UCL researchers. In the UK, around 30,000 people with kidney failure or disease must visit a medical centre several times a week for dialysis treatment, which helps filter waste products from the blood. Globally the figure is around two million. As a result, these patients have been unable to self-isolate during lockdown, leaving them far more exposed to COVID-19 infection. For the observational study, published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology , researchers examined information on 5,755 patients who received dialysis in 51 clinics in London. Between March 2 and May 31, 2020, 990 (17%) patients tested positive for COVID-19 and 465 (8%) were admitted to hospitals with suspected COVID-19. Researchers found COVID-19 risks were higher in patients who were older, had diabetes, lived in local communities with higher COVID-19 rates, and received dialysis at clinics that served a larger number of patients.