Is the Intestine a Portal of Entry for the Serious COVID-19 Complications of Endotoxemia and Thrombosis?

ABSTRACT

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection has been associated with both endotoxemia and thrombosis of small and large vessels, but the relationship between these 2 phenomena has not been pursued. Oliva et al. in this issue of Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology demonstrate an association between the 2 findings and suggest that increased intestinal permeability is a possible mechanism to explain the endotoxemia. Although the evidence to support this hypothesis is only suggestive, the role of the small intestine in the illness produced by the virus needs to be further explored.