“Can kidney disease make you more likely to catch Covid-19?”
My 12 year old daughter has had kidney disease for about year. Can kidney disease make you more likely to catch Covid-19?
3 Answers
It doesn't make you more likely to catch it, but the illness could be worse and lead to more kidney problems. It's best to keep her away from others.
If your daughter has significant enough kidney disease that has caused her to become IMMUNOCOMPROMISED (the immune system, which normally helps to fight against infections, cancer and other problems), it could place her at increased risk for Covid-19. It also makes a difference as to why your daughter has underlying kidney problems. For example, if she were to have renal problems secondary to Diabetes Mellitus, she would have multiple reasons to be immunocompromised (diabetes causes immunodeficiency as well). If you are concerned, I recommend that you contact your daughter's pediatrician or nephrologist.
It is not the kidney disease that will make your daughter more vulnerable to covid-19, it is the medications to treat the kidney disease that may decrease her immune system.
G. S. Dhaliwal, MD
G. S. Dhaliwal, MD
