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COVID-19 in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease; Does it Differ Much?
Demet Baltu1, Eda Didem Kurt-Sukur1, Tugba Tastemel Ozturk1
1Pediatric Nephrology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
COVID-19 in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is typically mild. General precautions and vaccination appear effective in managing SARS-CoV-2 infection in this vulnerable pediatric population.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Limited data exists on COVID-19 outcomes in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
- Understanding SARS-CoV-2 impact on pediatric CKD patients is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the incidence and severity of COVID-19 in pediatric CKD patients.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of precautions and vaccination in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire gathered data on demographics, COVID-19 history, symptoms, and vaccination status.
- Retrospective review of SARS-CoV-2 infection presentation and outcomes from March 2020 to December 2021.
Main Results:
- Out of 220 pediatric CKD patients, 48 contracted COVID-19.
- Most infections were mild (89.6%), with only one severe case; no deaths or renal flares occurred.
- Acute kidney injury (Stage 1) was observed in 8.3% of infected children.
Conclusions:
- The majority of pediatric CKD patients experienced mild COVID-19, despite a low vaccination rate.
- General precautions, alongside vaccination, seem to effectively protect this population from severe SARS-CoV-2 outcomes.
Background:
COVID-19 is known to have a mild course in children, however more data on pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD) is needed. We aimed to assess the incidence and severity of COVID-19 in pediatric CKD patients.
Methods:
A questionnaire including demographics, COVID-19 history, symptoms, and vaccination status was applied to patients with CKD. We also retrospectively reviewed the presentation and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in this patient group from March 2020 to December 2021.
Results:
220 patients were included, 48 were found to have experienced COVID-19. There was no significant difference regarding age, gender, underlying kidney disease, CKD stage, dialysis status, type or number of immunosuppressive medications, and glomerular filtration rate between patients with and without COVID-19. Most were infected by a household member (43.8%) and during outpatient or inpatient care (18.8%). Four (8.3%) were asymptomatic, and 43 (89.6%) had mild infection. Severe COVID-19 was observed in only one patient. Eleven (22.9%) patients with COVID-19 were previously vaccinated. Acute kidney injury was detected in 4 (8.3%); as stage 1 in all. Median follow-up after COVID-19 was 4.6 months. All patients fully recovered, and no renal disease flare or death was observed.
Conclusions:
Although the vaccination rate was low in our cohort, the majority of the children with COVID-19 showed a mild course. Along with the vaccination, general precautions seemed to be successful for this population.
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