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

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.