COVID-19 has emerged as a pandemic of significance with potential to cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Elderly with or without following comorbidities i.e Diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease, chronic respiratory illnesses, chronic liver disease, CKD, malignancy and immunocompromised hosts are at increased risk of developing complicated course. Hemodialysis population hence are at increased risk for contracting the infection due to patient characteristics, environmental characteristics and procedural lapses. The current study was aimed at describing prevalence and characteristics of COVID19 in hemodialysis population across different HD centers across Mumbai. We found a prevalence rate of COVID19 in 6.4%, with 9 patients (12%) died during the study period. A fair proportion of Non covid HD patients (1.5%) also died due to lack of access to dialysis. At baseline, mean age of presentation was 54.5 years. On routine test 80% were asymptomatic at presentation. Patients with COPD, requiring ICU care and those on ventilation faired poorly. Contrary to assumption patients with underlying cardiovascular disease didn't show poor outcome. Total of 4.1% health care workers turned positive during the study period with mean age of 31 years and median of 28years. Out of them 5 (45.4%) were symptomatic. All recovered from the illness without any sequelae. Seventy two percent of healthcare workers were on Hydroxy-chloroquine chemoprophylaxis didn't reach statistical significance in preventing the infection. In our study elderly age with comorbidities had poor prognosis. We proposed extra healthcare measures to be taken in the dialysis unit presuming all as COVID suspect in the resource limited settings.
© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.