IMPORTANCE AND POTENTIAL MECHANISMS OF GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS IN CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19)

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) agent, poses a serious threat to human health worldwide. The virus is transmitted by droplets and contact and often occurs with fever, cough, and shortness of breath. SARS-CoV-2 not only affects the respiratory system but also causes gastrointestinal system disorders such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in fecal samples of COVID-19 patients. Besides, diarrhea may be an early symptom for COVID-19 was suggested. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are treated symptomatically in COVID-19. Consistent with these gastrointestinal symptoms, the gut microbiota balance was disturbed in COVID-19 patients, and opportunistic pathogens were increased while beneficial commensal bacteria were decreased. The gut microbiota may be a new therapeutic target for COVID-19, and these patients may benefit from probiotic treatment. Consequently, gastrointestinal symptoms should be taken into account in COVID-19 patients. In this way, the isolation of patients diagnosed at an early stage may help control the epidemic.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• SARS-CoV-2
• diarrhea
• microbiota
• probiotics

KORONAVİRÜS HASTALIĞI 2019 (COVID-19)’DA GASTROİNTESTİNAL BELİRTİLERİN ÖNEMİ VE OLASI MEKANİZMALARI

Abstract

Şiddetli akut solunum sendromu koronavirüsü-2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) etkeninin neden olduğu koronavirüs hastalığı 2019 (COVID-19) dünya çapında insan sağlığı için ciddi bir tehdit oluşturmaktadır. Virüs damlacık ve temas yolu ile bulaşmakta ve çoğunlukla ateş, öksürük ve nefes darlığı belirtileri ile ortaya çıkmaktadır. SARS-CoV-2 solunum sistemindeki etkilerinin yanı sıra diyare, bulantı-kusma gibi gastrointestinal sistem bozukluklarına da yol açmaktadır. COVID-19 hastalarının fekal örneklerinde SARS-CoV-2 saptanmıştır. Ayrıca diyarenin COVID-19 için erken bir belirti olabileceği öne sürülmektedir. Hastalarda gözlemlenen bulantı-kusma ve diyare semptomatik olarak tedavi edilmektedir. Gastrointestinal belirtilerle uyumlu olarak COVID-19 hastalarında bağırsak mikrobiyotası dengesinin bozulduğuna dair veriler elde edilmiştir ve fırsatçı patojenlerde artış ve yararlı kommensal bakterilerde azalma görülmüştür. Bağırsak mikrobiyotasının COVID-19 için yeni bir terapötik hedef olabileceği ve bu hastaların tedavisinde probiyotiklerin fayda sağlayabileceği öne sürülmüştür. Sonuç olarak COVID-19 hastalarında gastrointestinal belirtilerin dikkate alınması gerekmektedir. Bu sayede erken dönemde tanı konulan hastaların izolasyona alınması salgının kontrol altına alınabilmesine yarar sağlayabilir.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• SARS-CoV-2
• diyare
• mikrobiyota
• probiyotikler

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