COVID-19 from the gastroenterologist's point of view.

ABSTRACT

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic significantly changed the (medical) world and has impacted gastroenterology in multiple aspects. Objective(s) Since the beginning of the pandemic, a tremendous body of information on the novel virus and COVID-19 infection has been published. This review aims to give insights into those aspects that are of special interest in gastroenterology. Material(s) and Method(s) Basic literature, case series, and expert opinions on COVID-19 infections from the gastroenterologist's point of view are discussed. Result(s) and Conclusion(s) Gastrointestinal symptoms occur frequently during COVID-19 infection but do not negatively impact the course of disease. Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been isolated from stool, the possibility of fecal-oral spread is still under debate. Continuation of immunosuppressive therapy in patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease during the COVID-19 pandemic is safe. However, systemic steroid therapy is associated with an increased risk for a severe course of infection. Vaccination against COVID-19 is safe and effective in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted patients and structures of the medical system, including inpatient and outpatient gastroenterology services. Maintaining high-quality healthcare for all patients under pandemic circumstances and ensuring supportive healthcare structures also for healthcare workers including high-quality education will be a future challenge.Copyright © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.