Over 60 dialysis patients infected with Covid-19, one death

By Talaia Mika

APIA, SAMOA – 23 APRIL 2022: Over sixty patients undergoing dialysis treatment at the National Kidney Foundation have been tested positive for Covid-19 and one patient is confirmed by the Ministry of Health to have died from the virus.

The Clinical Director of the National Kidney Foundation, Leituala Dr. Ben Matalavea told Talamua that these Covid-19 infected patients are being treated in a separate room away from patients who are tested negative.

He said that about twenty (20) NKF employees also tested positive and those who are asymptomatic are assigned to work in the ward allocated for dialysis patients infected with Covid-19.

According to Leituala, these patients have higher risks of experiencing severe effects of Covid-19 when infected.

“Dialysis patients have high blood pressure and diabetes and naturally there’s a very high chance they can experience heart attack and stroke causing death and these are the number one causes of death in Samoa for patients undergoing dialysis treatment,” he said.

“The majority of patients with end stage kidney failure are caused from diabetes and high blood pressure and these conditions put them at a high risk to severity when affected with Covid-19.”

All positive cases undergoing dialysis were infected with Covid-19 from their communities according to Leituala.

High blood pressure and diabetes eight are the main causes affecting 80 percent of patients undergoing dialysis treatment.

Dialysis treatment at the National Kidney Foundation.

At the moment, 150 patients in Upolu and 22 in Savaii are undergoing dialysis treatments and this statistics had increased rapidly over the years since the establishment of NKF.

The youngest age group of patients undergoing dialysis treatments in Samoa is 20-21 years old and according to Leituala, the youngest patient was a fourteen-year-old recorded in Savaii in 2012.

Asked about recent deaths of other patients who were undergoing dialysis, Leituala explained that majority died from natural causes.

“But it’s also a high risk for these patients because they’re coming from their communities and it’s not like they’re in isolation,” added the Clinical Director.

NKF continues to advise patients and their escorts being treated at the Foundation to abide by health protection measures such as wearing of facial masks and social distancing and maintaining personal hygiene.