Gastrointestinal and Liver Manifestations in Patients with COVID-19

Background: As the outbreak of COVID-19, It has rapidly spread over the world, the World Health Organization had declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as an international public health emergency. Besides typical respiratory symptoms and signs of COVID-19, digestive symptoms and liver injury had been frequently reported during the course of the disease. Aim and objectives: To explore the available evidences on liver and GI involvement in patients with COVID-19 infection and to provide a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon, and to anticipate effective follow-up. Subjects and methods: This study will be conducted on two hundreds of COVID-19 infected patients who had positive COVID-19 PCR as an outpatients and admitted in Abu Hommos Central Hospital from January to the end of June 2021. Patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 has GIT symptoms only (abdominal pain, Anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea?.)-Group 2 has GIT and respiratory symptoms as difficulty of breathing, cough?.) (Mild to moderate cases) guided with Egyptian protocol. Result: There was statistically significant difference between two groups regarding CT scan as group who had GIT symptoms and respiratory symptoms was higher positive in CT scan than group with GIT symptoms only, there were slight increase in laboratory investigations as ALT, AST, Lymphopenia, CRP, ESR in group 1 more than group 2. Conclusion: Digestive symptoms are common in patients with COVID-19, and in some cases digestive symptoms may occur in the absence of any respiratory symptoms. COVID-19 patients with digestive symptoms have worse clinical outcomes. Attention should also be paid to monitor liver function during the course of COVID-19, especially in patients with higher disease severity.