Advice To Chronic Kidney Disease Patients During COVID19 Times

Dr.Vikram Kalra, 3 mins read

1.  Strictly avoid contact with someone who is displaying symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). 

These symptoms include high temperature and/or new and continuous cough. 

2.  Practice social distancing: 

• a)   Do not leave your house or attend any gatherings.   
• b)  Do not go out for shopping, leisure or travel  
• c)  Do not shake hands, hug or kiss anyone, including children. 
• d)  In case you receive deliveries, these should be left at the door to minimise contact. 
• e)  Keep in touch using remote technology such as phone, internet, and social media 

3.  Always wear a face mask when outside your house. 

4.  Practice sneeze and cough hygiene. 

5.  Wash hands well periodically with soap and water. 

6.  Your isolation has to be complete (i.e. no face to face contact or physical proximity with anyone, including members of your own family inside your house) and prolonged (12 weeks or more) in case you belong to any of the groups mentioned below: 

• a)  You are on dialysis – haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis 
• b) you have undergone a kidney transplant  
• c)  you are receiving immunosuppressive therapy like steroids, Tacrolimus, MMF, Rituximab, Cyclophosphamide etc for the treatment of various renal diseases like Nephrotic syndrome, glomerulonephritis, vasculitis etc 

7.  For patients on haemodialysis: 

• a)  Travel to your dialysis unit as safely as possible.  Do not use public transport to travel to the dialysis unit.   
• b)  In case you are in a taxi or autorickshaw ensure minimum contact with your co passengers.  Sit in the front seat of the car and keep the windows open.  Avoid the use of air conditioning while travelling with co passengers in a car.  Make sure all other people in the vehicle are wearing masks and maintaining a safe distance from you.  Carry an alcohol based sanitiser and disinfect your hands periodically. 
• c) Inform the dialysis staff on telephone if you begin to suffer any symptoms like fever and cough with sore throat or breathlessness, which could indicate a possible CoVID 19 infection.   
• d) Maintain strict social distancing and wear your face mask at all times while in the dialysis unit and hospital. 
• e)  Intimate the dialysis staff in case any other patient in the unit has a cough or sore throat. 
• f) Avoid eating any meals while you are undergoing dialysis.  In case essential, carry candy or chocolate to avoid hypoglycaemia. 

8.  Keep at least 12 weeks of medication supplies stocked at home.