COVID-19 and the gastrointestinal tract: Source of infection or merely a target of the inflammatory process following SARS-CoV-2 infection?
World J Gastroenterol
; 27(14): 1406-1418, 2021 Apr 14.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1197563
ABSTRACT
Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms have been described in a conspicuous percentage of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. This clinical evidence is supported by the detection of viral RNA in stool, which also supports the hypothesis of a possible fecal-oral transmission route. The involvement of GI tract in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is corroborated by the theoretical assumption that angiotensin converting enzyme 2, which is a SARS-CoV-2 target receptor, is present along the GI tract. Studies have pointed out that gut dysbiosis may occur in COVID-19 patients, with a possible correlation with disease severity and with complications such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. However, the question to be addressed is whether dysbiosis is a consequence or a contributing cause of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In such a scenario, pharmacological therapies aimed at decreasing GI permeability may be beneficial for COVID-19 patients. Considering the possibility of a fecal-oral transmission route, water and environmental sanitation play a crucial role for COVID-19 containment, especially in developing countries.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Gastrointestinal Diseases
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Limits:
Child
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
World J Gastroenterol
Journal subject:
Gastroenterology
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Wjg.v27.i14.1406
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS