Impact of COVID-19 on the worsening crisis of chronic kidney disease: the imperative to fund early detection is now

Karen M Dwyer; Caitlin Sum; David W Johnson

doi:10.1111/imj.15670

Impact of COVID-19 on the worsening crisis of chronic kidney disease: the imperative to fund early detection is now

Intern Med J. 2022 Apr;52(4):680-682. doi: 10.1111/imj.15670. Epub 2022 Mar 6.

Authors

Karen M Dwyer^{1

2

3}, Caitlin Sum¹, David W Johnson^{1

4

5

6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Kidney Health Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
² School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
³ Internal Medicine Clinical Institute, Epworth Geelong, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology, Sydney, NSW, South Australia, Australia.
⁵ Division of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
⁶ Department of Nephrology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
⁷ Centre for Kidney Disease Research, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Abstract

The number of Australians affected by kidney disease will increase as the impacts of COVID-19 infection on kidney health are realised. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) imposes significant health and economic burdens from dialysis costs, loss of employment, premature death and increased admissions to hospital. Screening for kidney disease must be integrated into post-COVID-19 care; however, currently there is no reimbursement for kidney health checks in primary care. Early detection can reduce the progression of CKD by as much as 50% and thus the imperative to fund the Kidney Health Check is now.

Keywords: COVID-19; chronic kidney disease; early detection.

MeSH terms

Australia / epidemiology
COVID-19*
Female
Financial Management*
Humans
Male
Renal Dialysis
Renal Insufficiency, Chronic* / diagnosis
Renal Insufficiency, Chronic* / epidemiology