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COVID-19 infection causing residual gastrointestinal symptoms - a single UK centre case series
Joseph Cooney1, Priscilla Appiahene2, Ross Findlay2
1St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK josephcooney@doctors.org.uk.
Abstract:
Although COVID-19 was first recognised as an acute respiratory illness, extra-pulmonary manifestations are increasingly being recognised. Acute gastrointestinal side effects have been well reported with COVID-19 infection and are estimated to affect around 17% of patients. With COVID-19 still being a relatively new illness, the chronic gastrointestinal symptoms are less well characterised. Post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can occur following bacterial and viral infections, and with ACE-2 receptors being shown to be present in the gastrointestinal tract and SARS-Cov-2 RNA being present in stool, SARS-CoV-2 is now appreciated as an enteric pathogen. In our study, we survey acute and chronic gastrointestinal symptoms after COVID-19 infection. We have conducted one of the few UK studies on gastrointestinal symptoms, with the longest follow-up duration of 6 months. We have found that gastrointestinal symptoms are common at 6 months, affecting 43.8% of our patients. Further research is needed to explore whether this represents a new post-COVID-19 IBS, which has not previous been described in the literature, including its clinical course and response to any potential medical therapies.
Insights
Gastrointestinal symptoms are common after COVID-19 infection, affecting nearly half of patients six months later. This study highlights the potential for a new post-COVID-19 irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Infectious Diseases
- Virology
Background:
- COVID-19, initially known for respiratory symptoms, also causes extra-pulmonary effects.
- Gastrointestinal (GI) issues affect approximately 17% of COVID-19 patients acutely.
- Chronic GI symptoms post-COVID-19 are less understood, though SARS-CoV-2 is an enteric pathogen.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of acute and chronic gastrointestinal symptoms following COVID-19 infection.
- To provide one of the UK's few studies on post-COVID-19 GI symptoms with a 6-month follow-up.
Main Methods:
- Survey of patients to assess acute and chronic gastrointestinal symptoms after COVID-19.
- Longitudinal follow-up of participants for up to 6 months post-infection.
Main Results:
- A significant number of patients (43.8%) reported ongoing gastrointestinal symptoms at the 6-month follow-up.
- This suggests a high prevalence of persistent GI issues post-COVID-19.
Conclusions:
- Gastrointestinal symptoms are a common and persistent issue for many patients after COVID-19.
- Further research is warranted to define a potential post-COVID-19 irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and its management.
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