Gastrointestinal symptoms in the course of COVID-19

Abstract

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, a betacoronavirus comprised of single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA), the first time reported in December 2019 as pneumonia with unknown etiology in Wuhan City in China. It is a very important current problem for public health worldwide. A typical clinical course includes dyspnoea, dry cough and fever. In the presented paper we conducted the literature review and described the most important facts within the current state of knowledge about symptomatology and pathophysiology of gastrointestinal dysfunction in the course of COVID-19. Data about prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms in the course of COVID-19 show wide divergence in the cited literature. Generally, the most common reported digestive symptoms were loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. Liver injury in the course of COVID-19 is also an important and not well understood problem. The virus has high affinity to cells containing angiotensin- -converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) protein. Digestive symptoms of COVID-19 may be associated with ACE2 expression in epithelial cells in upper oesophagus, ileum and colon. Previous scientific reports have elucidated the role of ACE2 in modulating intestinal inflammation and diarrhoea.