Studies have shown that COVID-19 can affect every organ system in the short-term and long term. Research is ongoing in the exploration of long COVID’s effect on the kidneys. 

Scientists at the Veterans Administration (VA) St. Louis Health Care System and the Washington University School of Medicine collected and analyzed data from individuals with long COVID or post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 syndrome (PASC).* 

What They Did

Using a large cohort of 1,726,683 VA patients, researchers identified 89,216 30-day COVID-19 survivors and 1,637,467 non-infected controls. Between the two groups, researchers analyzed and compared risks of: 

• Acute kidney injury (AKI)
• Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline
• End-stage kidney disease (ESKD)
• Major adverse kidney events (MAKE) defined as eGFR decline ≥50%

What They Found

The scientists’ results revealed the following:

• People who had contracted COVID-19 had a greater risk of kidney damage and disease in the period following 30 days after infection than those who did not have COVID-19.
• The severity of kidney outcomes matched the severity of the patients’ acute SARS-CoV-2 infections.
• Hospitalized patients who experienced AKI experienced a greater long-term decrease in kidney function than non-hospitalized people with AKI.

What It Means

Dr. Al-Aly, a physician-researcher for the study, states, “Long COVID is not one thing, it’s not only kidney dysfunction. People want to know why a respiratory virus — like SARS CoV-2 — can give you brain fog. Why would a respiratory virus give us kidney problems? Why would it do that? The short answer is: ‘We don’t know.’”

While Dr. Al-Aly and other researchers know there is still a lot to learn regarding COVID-19, the potential long-term consequences are evident. With the increased risk of kidney disease, post-acute COVID-19 care should include special attention to this organ system. 

*McGorray, M., MD. (2021, September 8). COVID-19 long-haulers at risk of developing kidney damage, disease. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covid-19-long-haulers-at-risk-of-developing-kidney-damage-disease#Comparing-kidney-function-in-people-with-and-without-SARS-CoV-2

Bowe, B., Xie, Y., Xu, E., & Al-Aly, Z. (2021). Kidney Outcomes in Long COVID. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, ASN.2021060734. https://doi.org/10.1681/asn.2021060734