Infection Control News

“Diabetes does not increase the risk of new coronavirus infection, but it can worsen the outcome of COVID-19,” Gian P. Fadini, MD, PhD, associate professor of endocrinology at the University of Padova, Italy, told Healio. “People with diabetes can be reassured they are not at higher risk for becoming infected, but they have to pay additional attention to symptoms and signs of disease progression.”

On March 20, the American Kidney Fund launched a COVID-19 emergency fund to provide financial assistance to low-income patients on dialysis or who have undergone kidney transplantation. The funding was quickly exhausted due to the large number of applications the organization received. After “appealing to corporations, foundations and individual donors to replenish the fund,” the AKF recently reported it has received donations from three corporations.

Fresenius Medical Care North America and DaVita Inc. are collaborating with U.S. Renal Care, American Renal Associates, Satellite Health and other providers by sharing isolation capacity around the country for dialysis patients who are or may be positive for the coronavirus.

CMS has re-classified vascular access placement for patients on dialysis as an essential surgical procedure during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to recently updated guidance.

The American Kidney Fund has set up an emergency program to provide financial assistance to low-income patients on dialysis or who have undergone kidney transplantation, a group of patients who can be seriously impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.

For the first time, nephrology practices can use telehealth devices to conduct visits with patients on dialysis who are treated at outpatient clinics. Previously, federal regulations only allowed such services to be used for patients on home dialysis.

Regardless of specialty, all us physicians are struggling during this pandemic to manage our patients, our practices, and our lives. We often forget that we doctors have “superpowers” to influence those around us for the better. Here are some thoughts on what superheroes would do today to help others, despite all the uncertainty.

During a recent webinar hosted by the Dialysis Patient Citizens Education Center, nephrology experts suggested ways, informed by guidance from the CDC, for patients on dialysis to safely approach COVID-19.

Patients with kidney disease who suspect they may have COVID-19 should not stay home to miss dialysis treatments due to fear of spreading the virus, a panel of nephrology experts said during a webinar on March 13.

In a March 10 survey of 85 practicing nephrologists, just one nephrologist was treating a patient diagnosed with COVID-19 and 30% of surveyed nephrologists rated the federal government’s handling of the pandemic as unfavorable.