The aftermath of coronavirus disease of 2019: devastation or a new dawn for nephrology?

Abstract

The acute crisis with the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the novel coronavirus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) is the largest biomedical catastrophe of our lifetimes. Like so many other disasters in the past, such as war, famine, social unrest and economic calamities, this too shall pass, but it will undoubtedly leave the world changed. Some of the changes are already evident, but some are inevitable once we get over this pandemic. In this perspective, I provide examples of how the virus is already inducing change in the practice of medicine at large and for nephrology in particular. As is true for many changes, some persist after the emergency is over, so I speculate on how nephrology may change once we surmount this predicament (Figure 1).