![]() GI symptoms have also been found to connected to a worse clinical outcome with Covid-19. In addition, research by Massachusetts General Hospital has found that googling for gut symptoms predicted Covid-19 hotspots three to four weeks in advance. Studies also established that these GI symptoms are often an early manifestation of Covid-19 and therefore a good indicator of the onset of the viral disease.įor example, the research from Crema found that the mean onset of the GI symptoms was 4.9 days before admission to hospital with Covid-19. Not only is it possible to contract the disease through the GI tract, research found that the faecal oral route is one way that the SARS-CoV-2 is spreading, as noted by Lumen chief scientific officer and co-founder Jim Roberts. They found that the GI was an alternative route for Covid-19 infection because the ACE2 receptor, which is the known route through which SARS-CoV-2 infects the lung, is highly expressed in other human tissues including the GI tract. This finding encouraged researchers to figure out the explanation. Further to this, Mao et al published a review of the 35 studies comprising 6,686 patients that found 6,064 patients across 29 studies had GI symptoms with 10% of those having no respiratory symptoms. ![]() A study of 74 patients found that 28% had GI symptoms, while another study of 95 patients found 61% had GI symptoms. ![]() Similar results were published from Chinese studies carried out in the early weeks and months of the pandemic. They concluded this was not a “negligible” amount and noted that many patients with GI symptoms (35 out of 42) did not actual present a major respiratory symptom: the cough. Researchers studied all patients admitted to the General Hospital of Crema in Italy with suspected Covid-19 between 21 February and 13 March 2020 and found that around 10% (42 out of 411) reported GI symptoms. The existence of GI symptoms became evident early in the pandemic. One company leading the way in this area is Seattle-based Lumen Bioscience, which develops edible spirulina-based drugs that can directly target the GI tract.Įxploring overlooked Covid-19 GI symptoms Meaning the resulting GI symptoms, which are viewed as less common and ‘non-specific’ by the UK Government, including diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, may actually be an important indicator of SARS-CoV-2 infection and Covid-19.Ĭonsequently, there is a need to think about Covid-19 as more than a respiratory disease and find ways to treat this GI component of the disease. ![]() However, although the respiratory system may be the most well-known SARS-CoV-2 entry point into the body, research suggests the gastrointestinal tract (GI) tract is an alternative route for infection. This is no surprise given the virus that causes Covid-19 is known as SARS-CoV-2 and SARS is an acronym for severe acute respiratory syndrome. This is because these respiratory symptoms have been found to be the most related to Covid-19 infection. If you want to book a free Covid-19 test in the UK, you must have at least one of three symptoms: a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and a change in your taste or smell. Lumen are investigating if its spirulina-based drug can treat the GI symptoms of Covid-19. ![]()
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