Date: 8th September 2020
Prepared by: The National Committee for Kidney Health
(Dr Mabel Aoun, Dr Hussein Karnib, Dr Sahar Koubar, Dr Jihad Makkouk, Mr Ali Roumani)
 

Background
Lebanon has ~4100 patients on chronic hemodialysis, distributed as follows:

• Beirut: ~762 patients
• Mount Lebanon: ~1562 patients
• North: ~860 patients
• South: ~616 patients
• Beqaa: ~402 patients

 
 
Cases of SARS-CoV-2 in Lebanese hemodialysis units
As of September 8, 2020, 18 out of 80 hemodialysis units experienced cases of COVID-19 among their dialysis patients.
 
A total of 40 dialysis patients were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection across Lebanon and distributed as follows: 14 cases in Mount-Lebanon, 13 cases in the North, 11 cases in Beirut and 2 cases in the South.
39 were on chronic hemodialysis and one patient was shifted from peritoneal dialysis to hemodialysis.
 
 
Characteristics of these patients:

• Mean age: 59.45 ± 15.70 years
• 55% were males and 45% females
• 55% were diabetics

 
80% of these cases occurred in clusters of two to six patients in a single dialysis unit (Figure 1).
 
Figure 1. Clustering of COVID-19 cases in dialysis units
 

 
 
87.5% were symptomatic and the majority had respiratory symptoms.
 
Eighteen patients or 45% of the total number of infected patients were admitted to a COVID unit. Rafic Hariri University Hospital, Dar el Amal Hospital and Tripoli Governmental Hospital received the highest number of patients.
 
Outcome of patients
Six out of the 40 patients died (15% of the total or 33% of the admitted).