COVID-19 Might Hurt the Gut Feelings

Stomach ache is likely to be one of the few common symptoms of COVID-19 infection. The other symptoms are fever, sore throat, and runny nose vary from person to person.

The appearance of COVID-19 symptoms in the body depends on the way the host's immune system reacts to the pathogen.

A recent study showed that 1 in 5 people who tested positive for COVID-19 had at least one gastrointestinal symptom, such as diarrhea, vomiting, or stomach pain. Of those hospitalized, 25.9% had gastrointestinal issues.

‘COVID-19 can cause stomach pain along with other gastrointestinal issues.’

"COVID-related abdominal pains are a generalized pain around the middle of the stomach. You might feel sore all around the stomach area," says ZOE COVID Study.

Stomach pain usually occurs in the first few days of illness and tends to go quite quickly (within one or two days). They also occur along with fever, headache, fatigue, sore throat, and loss of smell.

COVID-19 patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal symptoms also had an adverse outcome and increased risk of death compared to those without the symptoms.

This underscores the need to evaluate GI symptoms as a potential presentation of COVID-19, before the development of respiratory symptoms.

COVID-19 disrupts angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) activity and infects the intestinal epithelium by inducing cytotoxicity, resulting in gastrointestinal symptoms.

When COVID-19 particles leave an infected cell, it triggers the release of cytokines, small proteins that play a role in inflammation. This process may cause gastrointestinal symptoms.

Though COVID-19 is mainly characterized by respiratory tract manifestations, gastrointestinal symptoms should not be neglected.



Source: Medindia