Maintenance Hemodialysis and COVID-19: Saving Lives With Caution, Care, and Courage

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) first reported in Wuhan has become a global pandemic, posing a serious threat to human life and health, especially for those with pre-existing comorbid conditions, including kidney disease.1-6 Hemodialysis (HD) patients comprise a distinct population in the COVID-19 outbreak: (1) there is a relatively large number of HD patients; (2) HD facilities are widespread, scattered across Wuhan; (3) HD patients are mobile, traveling from home to dialysis facilities and other health care settings, serving as potential vectors for infection; (4) HD patients receive lengthy treatments in close proximity to other patients and dialysis staff; and (5) HD patients have impaired immune function.