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Updated: Dec 22, 2025
Chronic Salmonella Infection Induced Intestinal Fibrosis
Published on: September 22, 2019
2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases
Carlos Taxonera1, Iñigo Sagastagoitia2, Cristina Alba1
1Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit, Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos and Instituto de Investigación del Hospital Clínico San Carlos [IdISSC], Madrid, Spain.
Background:
Data on patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) who have had 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) disease (COVID-19) are needed.
Aims:
To report the clinical characteristics, including gastrointestinal symptoms, of COVID-19 in IBD patients, and to assess the risk of COVID-19 in IBD.
Methods:
This case series included consecutive IBD patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. Age-adjusted cumulative incidences were compared with the general population in the Madrid region.
Results:
Through April 8, 12 of 1918 IBD patients were diagnosed with COVID-19. The average age was 52 years, 75% of the patients were female and 58.3% had Crohn's disease. Seven patients (58%) were on maintenance treatment with immunomodulators/biologics, of these four with combined therapy (33%). Eight patients (66%) required hospitalisation (one intensive care unit admission, and two deaths), and four patients were isolated at home. Nine patients had diarrhoea ranging between 4 and 10 loose stools per day (mean 5.4, SD 1.6). In five patients (42%) diarrhoea was a presenting symptom. In two patients, diarrhoea was the only symptom at debut. Cumulative incidence of COVID-19 was 6.2 per 1000 IBD patients. IBD patients had a lower adjusted incidence ratio of COVID-19 (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.70-0.77; P < 0.001), and a similar associated mortality ratio (OR 0.95, 95% CI: 0.84-1.06; P = 0.36), compared with the general population.
Conclusions:
IBD patients do not have an increased risk of COVID-19 and associated mortality compared with the general population. In many IBD patients, diarrhoea was a presenting symptom, and sometimes, was the only symptom at onset of COVID-19.
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