COVID-19 Updates

A message from the President on COVID-19 – Updated 30 July 2020

The ANZSN continues to closely monitor the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak recognising our Society’s membership is part of the medical efforts being put in place to help contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The wellbeing of our patients, our colleagues and the broader community is foremost in our minds and our thoughts go out to all affected by and working on the front line to manage the response to the virus.

If Members have any questions or would like access to planning documents or specific expertise as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, then please contact the ANZSN Office at anzsn@nephrology.edu.au or M: 0447 118 585.

What’s New

Joint ANZSN and RSA Statement – Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) recommendations for staff and patients in haemodialysis units – Now available!

This Statement sets out the joint position of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology (ANZSN) and the Renal Society of Australasia (RSA) on the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in haemodialysis units during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The statement, which has been endorsed by the Commonwealth’s Infection Control Expert Group, represents general advice intended to support the optimal use of PPE in haemodialysis units. It is important to note that local circumstances and government and health service directives and policies in both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand (which has its own specific guidelines on PPE), need to be taken into account in the Statement’s adoption.

You can find the Statement here .

Thank you to the COVID-19 Working Group for preparing the checklist, in particular, Andrew Henderson (NZ), Jon Hosking RSA (RSA), Girish Talaulikar (ACT), Lukas Kairaitis (NSW), Yulan Shen – RSA (NSW), Sonia Mupotaringa - RSA (WA), Karen Oliver – RSA (ACT) and Joanne Kok – RSA (VIC) who led on the initiative

ANZDATA Registry report on positive SARS-CoV-2 results among the chronic dialysis and kidney transplant population in Australia and New Zealand

For Australia, the total number of reported cases is now at 20; 13 kidney transplant patients (5 active, 8 recoveries) and 7 dialysis patients (2 active, 2 recoveries and 3 deaths). Aotearoa New Zealand have no cases in the dialysis and transplant cohort.

TSANZ - Communiques
The TSANZ’s National Transplantation and Donation Rapid Response Taskforce Weekly Communique No 17 can be found here.

Joint Statement - Nephrology Societies call for ensuring optimal care to patients
with kidney diseases during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The ANZSN has joined sister renal societies in calling for action to care for patients with kidney disease in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can read the joint statement here.

ANZSN and TSANZ COVID-19 Forums

No further Forums are scheduled at this time

Resources to help plan and respond to COVID-19

The ANZSN COVID-19 Working Group has developed key checklists to assist renal unit senior management teams in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand prepare for and manage the COVID-19 pandemic:

ANZSN COVID-19 Dialysis Preparedness Checklist, which can be found here;
ANZSN COVIV-19 Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) Preparedness Checklist, which can be found here; and

ANZSN and RSA COVID-19 Workforce Preparedness Checklist - Monitoring and Managing Health Care Workers (HCWs), which can be found here.

Other Information

Working with Governments to ensure a coordinated response
The ANZSN will continue to work with its Members and advocate with the Australian and New Zealand governments on key matters relating to COVID-19.

Working with Industry to secure dialysis supplies
We remain in contact with all the major suppliers of dialysis fluids and consumables to encourage them to review and secure their supply chains in readiness.

Keeping abreast of developments
As the situation with COVID-19 continues to unfold we encourage our Members to keep abreast of developments, particularly within your own jurisdiction.

It is recommended that you refer to your local health department website (links below) to ensure that you are accessing the most recent resources, updates and information.

New Zealand
https://www.health.govt.nz/
https://covid19.govt.nz/

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP)
A list of the initiatives that the RACP is leading on behalf of its Members in response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be found here.

Information for patients and carers
Kidney patients and their carers can find information on COVID-19 at the following websites:

Kidney Health Australia: https://kidney.org.au/
Kidney Health New Zealand: https://www.kidney.health.nz/
Transplant Society of Australia and New Zealand: https://www.tsanz.com.au/