The Impact of Sars-Cov-2 Pandemic in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review of Clinical Data

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its consequences on individuals with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are not yet fully understood despite the fact that evidence on this topic are rapidly evolving. Aims & Methods: This comprehensive study of clinical data aims to enhance the gastroenterologists' ability to manage inflammatory bowel disease during these Covid-19 pandemic dominated times. Until November 2021, a thorough search of PubMed and Embase for published data served as the primary source for the examined research, which was solely composed of English-language sources. Additionally, websites of gastroenterology societies and organizations dedicated to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were searched for consensus statements and recommendations for patients and clinicians (IBD). The information sources, the search strategy, and the eligibility criteria of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statements were followed Results: There are 1560 publications on this subject, including 30 randomized controlled trials, including 64,259 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). There are twenty-four studies (n = 51,920) that examined the effect of COVID 19 on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) management. Crohn's disease affected 52.9% of patients, ulcerative colitis affected 42.0%, and indeterminate colitis affected 5.1%. These trials showed that the use of corticosteroids, azathioprine, or mesalamine was related to adverse outcomes, but the use of anti-TNFs was linked to improved outcomes. Seven randomized controlled trials evaluated the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and found that vaccination was extremely effective, with a seroconversion rate of 96.49% and no significant increase in adverse outcomes when compared to the general population. Conclusion(s) Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at an increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection. There is a substantial influence on the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients during the pandemic, as certain IBD drugs have been connected with a worsening of outcomes. Although the COVID vaccine has been shown to be effective, additional research is needed to determine the long-term consequences of COVID 19 infection and vaccination.