Scientists find a direct link between kidney failure and coronavirus

“SARS-CoV-2 directly infects kidney cells and is associated with increased tubule-interstitial kidney fibrosis in patient autopsy samples,” the study says, acknowledging that, while kidney failure “is frequently observed during and after COVID-19,” it had previously been inconclusive as to “whether this [was] a direct effect of the virus.”

Kidney fibrosis is characterized by the formation of scar tissue in the organ, and can ultimately lead to end-stage kidney failure.  After infecting a sample with the virus, the researchers reported that the results proved COVID-19 can “directly infect kidney cells and induce cell injury with subsequent fibrosis.”

The results may explain the frequency of kidney injury in those with COVID-19 and the development of chronic kidney disease in those suffering from long COVID, they concluded.  Scientists have observed kidney issues in many patients affected by coronavirus, despite its reputation for damaging the lungs.

Last year, Johns Hopkins University Associate Professor of Medicine, C. John Sperati, warned that it was currently unknown whether Covid-19 patients who suffered kidney damage would entirely recover. Sperati suggested the prevalence of kidney issues in such patients might be due to the fact that many of those hospitalized with the virus had suffered from pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, both of which increase the risk of kidney disease.