Early evidence suggests that COVID-19 is linked to kidney-related events in older and hospitalized patients. This link has not, however, been explored among a younger, healthy population such as U.S. active component service members (ACSMs). This retrospective cohort study assessed the incidence of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) and kidney events between March 1, 2020 and September 30, 2022 in ACSMs with no prior history of kidney events. Among the study population (n=831,780), 1,975 (0.2%) kidney events were reported between 31 days and 6 months after COVID-19 test dates. The incidence rate of any kidney event was slightly higher among ACSMs who tested negative for COVID-19 (10.6 per 10,000 person-years) compared to ACSMs who tested positive (9.8 per 10,000 person-years). In adjusted models of incidence rate ratios (IRRs), older ACSMs evinced significantly higher rates of kidney events compared to younger ACSMs, and COVID-19 vaccination had a protective effect; this was true in both the COVID-19-positive and -negative groups, although the IRR magnitude was stronger in the COVID-19-positive group. PASC did not lead to an increased incidence of kidney events compared to the COVID-19-negative group among ACSMs, an overall young and healthy population. PASC-related kidney events were rare among a young, healthy population of ACSMs without prior history of kidney events. The incidence of kidney events among ACSMs was not higher in the COVID-positive group compared to the group that tested negative for COVID.
Keywords: AKI; COVID-19; MHS; Military Health System; PASC; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2; United States; acute kidney injury; armed forces; coronavirus disease 2019; coronaviurs; event; kidney; long haul COVID; military; post-acute; post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2; renal; sequelae; symptom.