Covid has been affecting our lives in more than one way. The virus has been causing severe damage to kidneys of even those who have no history of kidney ailments. Studies show that apart from lungs and kidneys, other organs of the body like heart and brain are also being badly affected by Covid-19. Dr. Samir Tawakley, a senior consultant from Nephrology at Apollo hospitals, has now come forward to explain how Covid-19 can cause ‘serious kidney issues’.
In a Facebook live session, Dr. Tawakley explained that while Covid-19 is primarily known to have affect the lungs, it also damages the brain, heart and kidneys because all these organs work together. ‘Covid has been causing a lot of serious kidney issues even in people who were not affected by any kind of kidney ailment earlier. Many people affected by Covid have been showing signs of kidney damage, some so severe to the extent that they have required dialysis. Almost 30% of all people who have suffered from COVID infection have had kidney problems. People who had underlying kidney disease if they had Covid infection, they had very severe illnesses sometimes resulting in death,’ he said during the session.
https://www.facebook.com/ApolloHospitaslNoida/videos/1125980818139323
Dr. Tawakley further talked about the risk factors associated with kidney diseases during Covid-19. He explained that people who are over 60, diabetic and hypertension patients, people suffering from obesity and heart diseases are at a higher risk of developing kidney-related ailments. Explaining the ways in which Covid-19 can harm our kidneys, Dr. Tawakley added that the virus can either cause direct damage to kidney cells, increase blood clotting resulting in the reduction of blood flow to kidneys, or can reduce oxygen level in blood, which can have damaging effects on the tubules and the kidney structure.
During his live session on Facebook, Dr. Tawakley also listed some preventive measures like sanitization, social distancing and wearing masks. He also advised kidney patients to undergo dialysis if required and get fully vaccinated.
