Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Fecal Viral Shedding in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019

Some 12% of patients with COVID-19 have gastrointestinal symptoms, finds a meta-analysis in JAMA Network Open. Researchers analyzed 29 published and preprint studies that included 4800 patients. Roughly 7% of patients had diarrhea, and 5% had nausea or vomiting. Meanwhile, fecal samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in 41% of patients. The authors write: “Particularly concerning was the presence of live virus in patients’ stool and that fecal shedding continued for days after hospitalization.” They add, “To reduce health care–associated infections, clinicians should … take extra precautions when a patient reports diarrhea.”

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2767009