Several previous studies have suggested that Covid is an infection that badly affects the respiratory system in the human body. And now, a new study has revealed that Covid is an infection that will not only affects lungs but also human kidneys too.
How does Covid affect human kidneys?
The study carried out by a team of international experts found that Covid directly affects kidneys, thus causing scarring in the tissues, ultimately impacting kidney outcomes in long term.
It should be noted that kidney scarring or fibrosis is a serious long-term consequence that will eventually damage human kidneys, finally resulting in kidney malfunction.
Researchers from the RWTH Uniklinik Aachen, Germany, and the Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands made this conclusion after analyzing the renal functions of patients admitted to the intensive care unit due to Covid-related complications.
Researchers noted that scarring is quite high among patients with Covid, when compared to other people admitted to the ICU with non-Covid lung infections and a control group.
Deleterious effects of the virus in the human body
"In our study, we thoroughly investigated the causal damaging effects of the Coronavirus in the kidneys. The infected kidney organoids show that the virus directly causes cell damage, independent of the immune system. With this work, we found a piece of the puzzle showing the deleterious effects the virus can have in the body," said Jitske Jansen, a researcher at the Radboud University Medical Center.
Another recent study led by researchers at the University of Washington had suggested that coronavirus will directly invade human kidney cells, especially the proximal tubules, which are considered to be the gatekeepers of the organ.
A few months back, Dr NK Arora, head of coronavirus working group National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) in India had revealed that the Delta variant of Covid has more affinity towards lung cells.
