Doctors at Yale University conducted preliminary studies showing that COVID-19 can cause kidney problems. The work was published in the preprint database.
Fragments of the virus envelope were found in the urine of a quarter of patients undergoing treatment for coronavirus infection in clinics. These turned out to be the results of the action of the test of samples of human excretions developed by scientists. The very first tests showed that fragments of the SARS-CoV-2 shell were present in more than 25 percent of adult patients suffering from coronavirus infection.
Thus, it is the coronavirus that leads in some cases to complications - for example, albuminuria, severe kidney damage. It enters the cells of the kidneys and causes disturbances in their vital functions.
The researchers note that all of the patients with kidney complications were men, had a higher prevalence of diabetes and high blood pressure, which are well-known risk factors for severe disease. They also had greater urinary proteinuria and higher serum creatinine levels than those patients. which did not have a complication.
The value of the study is that this feature of the virus should be taken into account both when treating patients with COVID-19 and when assessing the long-term consequences of infection. The penetration of the virus into the kidneys confirms the version that it affects not only lung cells, but also other organs and tissues.
At the same time, the researchers note, scraps of the COVID-19 shell in the secretions of children were practically not found - only one case of the presence of the virus in the tissues of their kidneys was recorded.
