Prevalence of COVID-19 in Asymptomatic ESRD Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis and Dialysis Staff.

Hozaifa Habib; Sidra Shafiq Cheema; Muhammad Salman Rehman; Faiza Muzahar; Muhammad Saleem; Shafiq Cheema

doi:10.53778/pjkd4264

Authors

Hozaifa Habib Jinah Hospital, Lahore
Sidra Shafiq Cheema Jinah Hospital, Lahore
Muhammad Salman Rehman Jinah Hospital, Lahore
Faiza Muzahar Jinah Hospital, Lahore
Muhammad Saleem Jinah Hospital, Lahore
Shafiq Cheema Jinah Hospital, Lahore

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53778/pjkd4264

Keywords:

transmission,, pandemic., COVID-19,, Hemodialysis, infection, corona virus

Abstract

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic and posing a serious threat to hemodialysis staff and patients. Theprevalence of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic ESRD patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and dialysis staff is unknown. Hemodialysis patients and staff are a fragile population in a mandatory congregate setting. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of COVID-19 in two hemodialysis units of Jinnah Hospital, Lahore. In this cross-sectional study, 216 asymptomatic ESRD patients on maintenance hemodialysis and 83 dialysis staff members were tested for COVID-19. They were tested using qualitative RT-PCR on nasopharyngeal swabs taken from 20th April to 25th April 2020. Two out of 216 (0.92%) dialysis patients and 03 out of 83 (3.6%) dialysis staff members were tested positive for COVID-19.

Cumulative prevalence of patients and staff was 1.67% (05/299). It was concluded that prevalence of COVID-19 is low in dialysis staff and asymptomatic hemodialysis patients in Lahore, Pakistan.