February 3, 2021

Gastroenterology Manifestations and COVID-19 Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis of 25,252 Cohorts among the First and Second Waves

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Clinical Characteristics and Health Care Setting

Keywords (Tags): clinical characteristics, risk factors

Twenty percent of COVID-19 patients presented with GI symptoms, according to a meta-analysis. In 125 studies included in the analysis, GI symptoms upon presentation to care included loss of appetite (20%), altered sense of taste or loss of taste (15%), diarrhea (13%), nausea (10%), and vomiting of blood (9%). Over 26% of patients had confirmed positive fecal RNA, with persistent viral shedding (average 19.2 days). Patients with GI symptoms at admission to hospital had a higher risk of complications, including acute respiratory distress syndrome (RR=8.16), acute cardiac injury (RR=5.36), acute kidney injury (RR=5.52), ICU admission (RR=2.56), and mortality (RR=2.01). 

Elshazli et al. (Feb 2, 2021). Gastroenterology Manifestations and COVID-19 Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis of 25,252 Cohorts among the First and Second Waves. Journal of Medical Virology. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmv.26836