According to a new study, intestinal bacteria could be altered by COVID-19, which could affect how sick you become and potentially how long it lasts.
Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that patients with COVID-19 “significantly altered” the intestinal biome compared to people without the disease. They found that the disturbance was evident for at least 30 days after the patients recovered.
According to the New York Post, the researchers found a correlation between severe disease and high levels of inflammatory cytokines in the blood plasma of sick patients and the “substantial involvement” of the gastrointestinal tract during infection.
“Although COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory disease, there is growing evidence to suggest that the gastrointestinal tract is involved in the disease,” the authors wrote in Gut, a British Medical Journal publication, adding that the intestinal microbiota affects the immune response. to the disease and could play a role in its severity, according to the Post.
They said the imbalance of intestinal bacteria they observed even after the disease itself had resolved could be a contributing factor to what is called “long COVID-19”, symptoms that persist for months.
According to a third of COVID-19 victims, they develop persistent symptoms, according to The New York Times. These can range from chest pain and fatigue to heart irregularities. Some victims are unable to return to work and may require long-term care.
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