Evaluation of urine SARS-COV-2 RT-PCR as a predictor of acute kidney injury and disease severity in patients with critical COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which began as an outbreak in Wuhan, China and has spread rapidly across the globe. Although most infections are mild, patients with severe and critical COVID-19 infections face deterioration of respiratory function and may also have extrapulmonary manifestations, mostly affecting the kidney, digestive tract, heart, and nervous system. Here, we prospectively evaluated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction in urine samples obtained from patients with COVID-19 receiving critical care. Among 51 included patients, we found higher serum creatinine levels, a longer hospital stay, and more frequent need for dialysis in urine-positive patients. These findings could suggest that, in predisposed patients, a direct viral cytopathic effect may contribute to a more severe disease phenotype.