According to a new study, COVID-19 could alter intestinal bacteria, which could affect the degree of disease and the duration of the disease.
Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that patients with COVID-19 had “significantly altered” the intestinal biome compared to people without the disease. They found that the interruption was evident for at least 30 days after the patients recovered.
According to the New York Post, the researchers found a correlation between serious illness and high levels of inflammatory cytokines in the blood plasma of sick patients and “substantial impairment” of the gastrointestinal tract during infection.
“Although COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory disease, there is growing evidence to suggest that gastrointestinal tract is involved in this disease,” the authors wrote in Gut, a British Medical Journal publication, which added that the intestinal microbiota affects the immune response to the disease and could play an important role in its severity, according to the Post.
They claimed that the imbalance of intestinal bacteria they observed even after resolving the disease itself could be a contributing factor to what is called “long COVID-19,” symptoms that persist for months.
Up to a third of COVID-19 victims 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 medical care.
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