摘要
Gastrointestinal(GI)symptoms have been described in a conspicuous percentage of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)patients.This clinical evidence is supported by the detection of viral RNA in stool,which also supports the hypothesis of a possible fecal-oral transmission route.The involvement of GI tract in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)infection is corroborated by the theoretical assumption that angiotensin converting enzyme 2,which is a SARS-CoV-2 target receptor,is present along the GI tract.Studies have pointed out that gut dysbiosis may occur in COVID-19 patients,with a possible correlation with disease severity and with complications such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.However,the question to be addressed is whether dysbiosis is a consequence or a contributing cause of SARS-CoV-2 infection.In such a scenario,pharmacological therapies aimed at decreasing GI permeability may be beneficial for COVID-19 patients.Considering the possibility of a fecal-oral transmission route,water and environmental sanitation play a crucial role for COVID-19 containment,especially in developing countries.
