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Editorial
. 2021 May 27;18(11):5748.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18115748.

SARS-CoV-2 vs. Hepatitis Virus Infection Risk in the Hemodialysis Population: What Should We Expect?

Luis D'Marco  1   2 , María Jesús Puchades  1   2 , Miguel Ángel Serra  2   3 , Lorena Gandía  1 , Sergio Romero-Alcaide  1 , Elena Giménez-Civera  1 , Pablo Molina  2   4 , Nayara Panizo  1   2 , Javier Reque  5 , José Luis Gorriz  1   2
Affiliations
Editorial

SARS-CoV-2 vs. Hepatitis Virus Infection Risk in the Hemodialysis Population: What Should We Expect?

Luis D'Marco et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Since the dramatic rise of the coronavirus infection disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, patients receiving dialysis have emerged as especially susceptible to this infection because of their impaired immunologic state, chronic inflammation and the high incidence of comorbidities. Although several strategies have thus been implemented to minimize the risk of transmission and acquisition in this population worldwide, the reported severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence varies across studies but is higher than in the general population. On the contrary, the screening for hepatitis viruses (HBV and HCV) has seen significant improvements in recent years, with vaccination in the case of HBV and effective viral infection treatment for HCV. In this sense, a universal SARS-CoV-2 screening and contact precaution appear to be effective in preventing further transmission. Finally, regarding the progress, an international consensus with updated protocols that prioritize between old and new indicators would seem a reasonable tool to address these unexpended changes for the nephrology community.

Keywords: COVID19; SARS-CoV-2; chronic kidney disease; dialysis; hepatitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Preventive measures and treatment options against Hepatitis and SARS-CoV-2 viruses for dialysis units.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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