by
Lian Yong Li;
Wei Wu;
Sheng Chen;
Jian Wen Gu;
Xin Lou Li;
Hai Jing Song;
Feng Du;
Gang Wang;
Chang Qing Zhong;
Xiao Ying Wang;
Yan Chen;
Rushikesh Shah;
He Ming Yang;
Qiang Cai
An epidemic of an acute respiratory syndrome caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Wuhan, China, now known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), beginning in December 2019, has attracted an intense amount of attention worldwide. As the natural history and variety of clinical presentations of this disease unfolds, extrapulmonary symptoms of COVID-19 have emerged, especially in the digestive system. While the respiratory mode of transmission is well known and is probably the principal mode of transmission of this disease, a possibility of the fecal-oral route of transmission has also emerged in various case series and clinical scenarios. In this review article, we summarize four different aspects in published studies to date: (a) gastrointestinal manifestations of COVID-19; (b) microbiological and virological investigations; (c) the role of fecal-oral transmission; and (d) prevention and control of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the digestive endoscopy room. A timely understanding of the relationship between the disease and the digestive system and implementing effective preventive measures are of great importance for a favorable outcome of the disease and can help climnicians to mitigate further transmission by taking appropriate measures.
by
Amit Etkin;
Adi Maron-Katz;
Wei Wu;
Gregory A. Fonzo;
Julia Huemer;
Petra E. Vertes;
Brian Patenaude;
Jonas Richiardi;
Madeleine S. Goodkind;
Barbara Rothbaum