The Correlation of Renal Functions with The Severity of COVID-19 in Erbil City

Abstract

Background and objective: It is well known that infection with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has pulmonary and extra-pulmonary manifestations including renal system. Understanding the bidirectional impact and correlation between severity of COVID-19 and renal function impairment is crucial in managing the complications of COVID-19 and drug prescription accordingly. This study aimed to assess impairment in renal function at mild, moderate and sever cases of covid-19. Methods: A study focused on COVID-19 cases was carried out in Erbil, Iraq. The sample consisted of 253 individuals who tested positive for the virus through PCR (135 females and 118 males) aged 18 or older and were obtained through convenience sampling from various clinics and hospitals in the city. The data collection took place from July 1, 2020 to October 2021 and involved gathering the medical history, physical examination results, laboratory tests, and imaging of the cases to assess their health status, the severity of their illness, and their renal function. Results: The patient's gender did not play a major role in the intensity of COVID-19 illness (p=0.744), however, factors such as smoking, hypertension, and diabetes were found to be significant contributors (p<0.0001). The kidney function measurement, GFR, revealed a significant difference among all groups (p<0.0001) and showed a strong negative relationship with CRP (r=-0.751, p<0.001) and a moderate positive connection with SpO2 (r=0.646, p<0.001). Conclusion: The severity of COVID-19 was found to have a strong negative correlation with kidney function, which was represented