A team of researchers at the Institute for Urology and Reproductive Health (Sechenov University) has recently ruled out that COVID-19, while having a negative impact on the lungs, the gastrointestinal tract, and the nervous system, is practically harmless to the function of the kidneys. This finding is based on a six-month-long clinical study published in Current Opinion in Urology, one of the leading journals in the field with the impact factor of 2.15.

The researchers employed computed tomography (CT) to monitor changes in the tissue, as well as blood and urine tests to check for markers of inflammation and kidney damage. All of the 330 subjects included in the study were RT-PCR tested to verify the coronavirus infection.

The authors explored whether the viral infection had an impact on the kidney function, namely elimination of waste products. ‘The presence of proteins in urine means the danger is real. More easily detectable changes, such as damage to the renal tissue, are also possible and can be assessed by CT’, said Prof Dmitry Enikeev, Head of the Research Team.

The filtration rates were down in 9.6% of the patients and seen only in severe cases. At the same time, no visible signs of renal dysfunction could be detected. In addition, none of the patients displayed viral shedding in urine. The authors of the study speculate that the observed changes do not originate from the virus directly, but rather represent the consequences of severe infection, old age, and comorbidities.

The research was carried out at the COVID-19 Centre at University Clinical Hospital No. 2. Sergey Efetov, Head of the COVID-19 Treatment Department, was among the team members.

Another ongoing research project aims to assess the effects of the coronavirus on the male reproductive function.