COVID-19 as systemic disease: What does that mean for kidneys?

(ERA-EDTA) Renal tropism or virus detection can be associated with severe course, greater incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and earlier death - yet the immediate role of the virus in the kidney has not been clarified. An essential role in AKI is played by the overall combination of pneumonia/ARDS, cytokines and complement, ischemia hemodynamics and hypercoagulopathy/ microembolism. The high rate of AKI in COVID-19 patients is also conspicuous in comparison to other infectious diseases.