COVID-19 and Digestive Health: Understanding the Risks and Symptoms for Those with Gut Issues

According to Dr. Sahil Khanna, Gastroenterology at Mayo Clinic, there is currently no evidence of an increased risk for getting COVID-19 if you have known digestive issues. However, people with an illness called common variable immunodeficiency are predisposed to getting viral infections in the gut. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease are also believed to be at a higher risk.

Data from two small studies show that symptoms can be present alone or during the course of the illness. Patients can either have concomitant gastrointestinal symptoms (if you have lung symptoms and gastrointestinal symptoms on top of that) or gastrointestinal symptoms and no other respiratory symptoms. The reported symptoms are mostly diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, but loss of appetite can be seen in some patients as well.

There is also a possibility of COVID-19 being present in the stool and absent in the respiratory tract, although more information is needed to assess this.

Hand-washing, maintaining strict hygiene, and constantly disinfecting frequently-touched surfaces are the cornerstone to preventing COVID-19. Rubbing your hands with an alcohol content over 60% is effective as well and The Remedy Pharm currently carries this if you’re in need.

If you have questions about your gut and digestive health, schedule a FREE 15-min consultation with our certified nutritionist, Rande Freedman BS, NC, CLE who specializes in gastrointestinal issues.

Original source: https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-covid-19-and-gastrointestinal-concerns/