The clinical characteristics of coronavirus-associated nephropathy

Abstract

We are facing a full-blown pandemic, caused by a recently identified beta-coronavirus [ 1] now known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The clinical disease, coined coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is quite heterogeneous. While most patients are asymptomatic or have minor symptoms, a minority of patients develop more serious and potentially life-threatening respiratory disease [ 2]. In this issue of Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, Portolés and coworkers report on a large European cohort of patients with COVID-19. They explore kidney involvement as part of the clinical spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 infection [ 3].