The new coronavirus can "live for 7 months" in the intestines and stomach! Is it related to suffering from "long COVID-19"? Study: 3 symptoms to watch out for
Being diagnosed with COVID-19 will not only cause respiratory symptoms, but may also cause discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract? A recent study published in the journal “Med” pointed out that viral RNA in the feces of confirmed patients proved that the new coronavirus may cause gastrointestinal symptoms of varying degrees. Scientists have also expressed the view that long-term viral infection of the gastrointestinal tract may be closely related to the sequelae of COVID-19 (Long Covid).
Can the new coronavirus survive in the intestines and stomach for “7 months”? Study reveals “3 major symptoms” are the most common
Stanford University in the United States analyzed 113 mild/moderately diagnosed patients with an average age of about 36 years old. Ten months after the subjects were diagnosed, they closely tracked their gastrointestinal status and took regular stool tests. Preliminary results of the study show that about 50% of patients can detect virus RNA in their feces one week after being infected with the virus, about 12.7% after four months, and this dropped to 3.8% after seven months. This shows that the virus not only invades the respiratory tract and causes lung disease, but may also affect gastrointestinal function and last longer than estimated by the research team.
What surprised the research team was that even if no virus was detected in the patient’s respiratory tract, the virus in the gastrointestinal tract still survived, and the survival rate was often longer than that of respiratory viruses. Studies have also found that patients with longer viral survival in the gastrointestinal tract are more likely to experience symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, and vomiting, and are not directly related to diarrhea. Studies have pointed out that diagnosed patients with the above three gastrointestinal symptoms are more likely to suffer from runny nose, headache and muscle aches than other patients.
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Ami Bhatt, the lead author of the study, said that the phenomenon of long-term infection of the gastrointestinal tract by the virus may be closely related to the sequelae of COVID-19. “So far, the cause of COVID-19 has not been accurately known. However, our research suggests that COVID-19 can survive in the gastrointestinal tract for several months. Perhaps COVID-19 and its complications are caused by the immune system’s response to viral proteins. .
A study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States stated that the dysbiosis of the gastrointestinal flora of those diagnosed may be related to gastrointestinal inflammation caused by the virus. Research shows that the levels of “lactobacilli” and “bifidobacteria” in patients are lower than those in healthy normal people, and negative factors that cause changes in intestinal microorganisms, such as age, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc., are considered to be likely to aggravate post-infection symptoms.
Study author Carla Venegas-Borsellino said that the intestines and stomach are the largest immune organs of the human body. A healthy intestine can prevent viruses or bacteria from invading the human body. However, if the intestinal environment changes or inflammation occurs, viruses will be more likely to invade the body, which may cause overall decrease in immunity. Therefore, optimizing the ecology of intestinal flora and maintaining normal gastrointestinal function may be related to reducing gastrointestinal symptoms of COVID-19 and even avoiding the risk of severe disease.
“Currently, the academic community has begun to conduct research on the treatment of confirmed cases with probiotics. Before the advent of relevant research, in addition to wearing masks to avoid droplet infection, we call on the public to maintain gastrointestinal health, especially those who are obese or chronically ill, and should pay special attention “Venegas-Borsellino said.
source:
Impact of COVID-19 on the Intestinal Microbiome
Feces of people with mild COVID can harbor viral genetic material months after infection
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