COVID-19: Managing kidney health during continuous lockdown

Chennai: As part of its Patient Education Programme (PEP) and respecting the lockdown and the social distancing norms set by the Government of India to combat the rapid spread of COVID-19, Neuberg Diagnostics, a startup in the PathLab chain segment, organized a Patient Education Program in the form of a Webinar. The webinar was addressed by Dr Girish N. S., Head of Nephrology, Department, Columbia Asia Hospitals (Hebbal) over managing kidney health during these COVID-19 times, and the lockdown period.

During his address, Dr Girish mentioned that the COVID-19 infection presents a special threat to patients with CKD (chronic kidney disease), especially to those on dialysis and kidney transplant recipients. According to him, Hemodialysis patients may have milder clinical disease than other patients with COVID-19 infection.

He gave numerous tips that people who are prone to kidney disease could use during these lockdown days to manage their kidney health. These include…

• Engaging in regular exercise as it can lower the risk of kidney disease and can lower blood pressure and help with heart health.

• Controlling blood sugar level, especially for diabetic patients as this, may result in Kidney damage.

• Monitoring high blood pressure in a diabetic or heart patient which if not monitored could lead to significant health problems.

• Maintaining a healthy diet – low in sodium like fish, whole grains, blueberries, and cauliflower and manage weight especially for people who are overweight.

• Keeping oneself hydrated (1.5 – 2 Litres) as this can remove toxins from the body and could also help with the removal of kidney stones.

• Control smoking as this could increase the chances of developing Kidney Cancer.

• Avoiding the intake of medicines without prescriptions as there are chances where medicines that can damage the kidneys.

• Keeping a tab on their kidney health and not miss treatments, dialysis and transplant procedures even if it involves traveling to a hospital/clinic during the lockdown, as delaying treatment could complicate the health condition severely

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Aishwarya Vasudevan, Group COO, Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited said, “People with kidney ailments are at a higher risk for COVID-19. Those on dialysis can have weaker immune systems, making it harder to fight infections. Hence it is imperative for kidney patients to continue with their regularly scheduled dialysis treatments and to take necessary precautions as recommended by their doctors. We are happy to be hosting Dr. Girish to talk about kidney care during these atypical times on account of the coronavirus scare. His recommendations will be very useful for people suffering from kidney ailments during these lockdown days.”

Dr Girish N. S. has vast experience in the field of Nephrology and Kidney transplantation. He completed his Nephrology training from Cambridge, United Kingdom, and was a Consultant at The Royal London Hospital (UK) prior to relocation to India. He spent 11yrs in the UK mastering the art of medicine, nephrology and kidney transplantation. A combination of an Indian and International experience has given him the extra edge of managing a variety of complicated cases. He currently heads the Nephrology, Dialysis, and Kidney transplant program at Columbia Asia Hospitals, Hebbal. He is one of the first few to perform Interhospital Swap transplants in South India. He has a strong academic background with numerous presentations and publications in peer-review journals.

The Webinar saw participation by over 100 individuals, mainly those with kidney ailments, their near and dear ones, and those who were eager to learn more about managing kidney health during COVID-19 and the lockdown.