Determining functional immunity after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination or natural infection in haemodialysis patients at high-risk of COVID-19

Patients with multiple diseases are more likely to die from Covid-19 infection. Patients with End-Stage Kidney Disorder (ESKD) are some of the worst affected, being 45 times more likely to die. These patients cannot shield due to their treatment, haemodialysis, which requires in person treatment at a hospital, increasing the patients risk of infection.

ESKD patients can create antibodies, a type of protein produced by the body to fight infection. This suggests that a Covid-19 vaccine, which stimulates production of antibodies, would help to protect the patients; however, it is not known how effective the antibodies would be at protecting ESKD patients.

To find out if the antibodies help to protect ESKD patients, this research will look at: 1. The characteristics of the patients' antibodies in response to natural Covid infection and Covid-19 vaccine. 2. To find out how effective the patients' antibodies are at different time-points, after infection or vaccination.

3. To find out how resistant to infection different cells from patients are if antibodies are present or not.

These studies will help us to understand if the created antibodies help to protect ESKD patients against Covid; this will allow us to make better choices for at risk patients and their treatment, shielding and the benefits of vaccination to them.