ABSTRACT
Background: COVID-19 is a serious respiratory disease currently causing a global pandemic. However, few studies have evaluated the prognosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients infected with COVID-19. Given the comorbidities evident in CKD patients, we speculate that they are more likely to be susceptible to COVID-19 infection relative to healthy individuals. However, a systematic study is necessary to confirm the relationship between these two conditions.Methods: The Wanfang, China Science Journal Citation Report (VIP database), EMBASE, CNKI, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases will be reviewed to identify relevant studies. The PRISMA-P and Cochrane Handbook guidelines were used to prepare a standardized table to extract data from all relevant studies in a uniform manner. Risk and quality assessment analyses will be conducted for all included studies, with Revman 5.3 and Stata 13.0 being used for all data analyses. The primary study outcome is the assessment of whether CKD is a risk factor associated with COVID-19 infection, and to establish whether CKD increases the risk of severe illness in those infected with COVID-19. Secondary outcomes include mortality rates in CKD patients with COVID-19.Results: This study approach will synthesize extant studies into a single systematic review and meta-analysis in order to establish whether or not CKD is a risk factor associated with the development of critical COVID-19 illness, and whether CKD patients are at a higher risk of being infected by COVID-19.Conclusion: These results will provide a basis for the clinical treatment of COVID-19 in those with CKD.Systematic Review registration: CRD42020216330（PRORPERO registration number）