Covid-19 in children: is there any correlation with renal function and severity of the disease?

Abstract

Background. Kidney manifestations are life-threatening conditions, such as end-stage renal disease (ESRD), especially when attributed to viral infections. The severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is an emerging health problem worldwide, potentially affecting all organs, including the kidney. Most reports on kidney manifestations were conducted mostly on the adult and elderly population, and limited on children. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the correlation between kidney manifestations with the renal function of pediatric patients suffering from COVID-19. Methods. An observational analytic study was conducted in Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia, from March to August 2020. The demographic data, clinical signs, laboratory results, and notable kidney function were analysed, while the disease was classified as severe and nonsevere based on its clinical appearance. The Mann-Whitney test for nonparametric was used to analyze the collected data. Results. In this study, 16 COVID-19 children were selected as the research subjects, the median eGFR value in the severe group was lower (49.59 ml / minute / 1.73m2) compared to the nonsevere (113 ml / minute / 1.73m2), however, not statistically significant (p = 0.521). Significant high CRP and low thrombocyte levels were found in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection (p<0.05). Conclusion. A severe SARS-CoV-2 infection tends to affect the kidney, which is manifested as decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR).