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Volume 2022, Issue 3
  • ISSN: 0253-8253
  • EISSN: 2227-0426

Abstract

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant worldwide impact since its emergence in 2019. End-stage kidney disease patients have been among the most vulnerable population affected and have a higher risk of acquiring infection and developing more severe disease. We have encountered three major COVID-19 waves in Qatar and they have required different strategies to overcome. The most recent wave was due to the Omicron variant characterized by higher transmissibility. The monthly incidence of COVID-19 infection during the Omicron wave in patients with end-stage renal disease peaked at 256 patients compared to 35 and 39 patients during the first and second waves, respectively. In addition, more than one-third of our dialysis staff became infected during this wave. Unlike the previous two waves, COVID-19 due to the Omicron variant was less severe with only 5% of hemodialysis patients requiring admission to the intensive care unit compared to 25% during the previous waves. The Omicron variant wave resulted in a crisis in our country due to the high number of non-hospitalized COVID-19 hemodialysis patients and the severe staff shortage. Several measures were taken to overcome the crisis, such as designating one facility to dialyze all COVID-19 ambulatory patients, reducing dialysis sessions to 3 hours, and introducing a fourth dialysis shift.

This article describes the challenges we faced in the ambulatory hemodialysis service during the Omicron wave and the measures taken in the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 designated facilities to combat the crisis.

© 2022 Hamad, Asim, Othman, Abuhelaiqa, Shurrab, Elmadhoun, Al-Malki, Alkadi, licensee HBKU Press.
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2022-08-23
2024-04-16
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http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.5339/qmj.2022.38
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National response to the COVID-19 Omicron variant crisis in the ambulatory hemodialysis service in the State of Qatar
Qatar Medical Journal 2022, 38 (2022); https://doi.org/10.5339/qmj.2022.38
/content/journals/10.5339/qmj.2022.38
/content/journals/10.5339/qmj.2022.38
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): Coronavirus, COVID-19, end-stage kidney disease, hemodialysis, Omicron variant and Qatar

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