COVID-19 Incidence in a Large Cohort of Hemodialysis Libyan Patients

Abstract

Hemodialysis patients are at a greater risk of severe disease from COVID-19. Of the 600 maintenance hemodialysis patients who were regular attendees at the Tripoli Hemodialysis Center in Tripoli, Libya, 12 patients contracted COVID-19 infection. Their ages ranged between 48 and 80 years, 3 of them were females (25%), and 4 (33.3%) had a history of contact with an infected person. The most common symptoms were fever (66.7%), dry cough (66.7%), dyspnea (91.7%) and fatigue (83.3%). Computed tomography of the chest showed radiological features of COVID-19 pneumonia, ground-glass opacities and consolidation in the lungs of all patients. Four of the patients died (33.3%). COVID-19 is a serious comorbidity for maintenance hemodialysis patients and is associated with a high mortality rate. Where no specific guidance for operation exist, guidelines should be developed or existing guidelines such as those of the CDC should be adapted to the local context.Funding: None to declare. Declaration of Interest: None to declare. Ethical Approval: Ethical approval was obtained from Bioethics Committee at BiotechnologyResearch Center (BEC-BTRC 18-2021).