PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Ouali, Sara El
AU  - Achkar, Jean-Paul
AU  - Lashner, Bret
AU  - Regueiro, Miguel
TI  - Gastrointestinal manifestations of COVID-19
AID  - 10.3949/ccjm.87a.ccc049
DP  - 2020 Jun 18
TA  - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
4099  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/early/2020/06/16/ccjm.87a.ccc049.short
4100  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/early/2020/06/16/ccjm.87a.ccc049.full
AB  - Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are seen in patients with COVID-19. The prevalence could be as high as 50%, but most studies show ranges from 16% to 33%. Presenting with GI symptoms increases the risk of testing positive for SARs-CoV-2. Approximately 50% of patients with COVID-19 have detectable virus in their stool. Having GI symptoms has been associated with more severe disease. Management of GI symptoms is mainly supportive, given the lack of FDA-approved treatments for COVID-19. Healthcare providers should be aware of the GI manifestations of COVID-19 and perform SARS-CoV-2 testing for patients presenting with digestive changes, especially in those with respiratory symptoms.