VOLUME 54 , ISSUE 3 ( July-September, 2020 ) > List of Articles
Citation Information : Clinical Manifestations of COVID-19 Involving the Gastrointestinal Tract. J Postgrad Med Edu Res 2020; 54 (3):112-114.
DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10028-1390
License: CC BY-NC 4.0
Published Online: 31-03-2021
Copyright Statement: Copyright © 2020; The Author(s).
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease is a primarily respiratory illness transmitted among close contacts mainly via respiratory droplets and direct contact. It uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor to enter into the cells of the respiratory epithelium and as ACE2 receptor is also expressed in gastrointestinal (GI) epithelial cells, some patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) have GI symptoms, such as abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. Patients with COVID-19 with GI and hepatic manifestations are at risk of severe disease as well as development of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Also, detection of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA in stool samples of infected patients has raised possibility of GI tract being an additional site of infection as well as viral replication and further studies are needed to study the possibility of feco-oral transmission of COVID-19. This updated review discusses GI and pancreatic manifestations of COVID-19 and its clinical implications.