Health information inquiry on chronic kidney disease and those having survived, all ages, that oppressive time of the pandemic. Stay blessed, active and healthy!
"Yes, but the answer is a little more complicated than it first appears.
The COVID-19 pandemic did increase the number of people who needed dialysis because COVID can cause severe kidney damage, including acute kidney injury (AKI). Some hospitalized patients required temporary dialysis, and some went on to develop permanent kidney failure requiring long-term dialysis.
However, in the United States, the total number of people on chronic dialysis actually declined during the first year of the pandemic. That happened because:
- Many dialysis patients were especially vulnerable to severe COVID-19 and died.
- Fewer people began treatment for end-stage kidney disease during the early months of the pandemic, partly because healthcare was disrupted.
- The dialysis population experienced an unprecedented decrease of about 2% in 2020.
Researchers found that:
- Dialysis patients had COVID-19 infection rates substantially higher than the general Medicare population.
- Deaths among dialysis patients increased by nearly 20% in 2020 compared with 2019.
- COVID-related kidney injury created additional demand for dialysis services in hospitals.
So if you're asking, "Did more people need dialysis because of the pandemic?" the answer is yes. If you're asking, "Did the total number of people receiving long-term dialysis increase during the early pandemic?" the answer is not immediately—it actually decreased at first because of increased mortality and disruptions in care.
If you're interested, I can also explain whether nephrologists are now seeing an increase in chronic kidney disease and dialysis needs several years after COVID infections."
Taking from ChatGPT
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