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Study Finds Unexpected Coronavirus Symptoms That Could Be the First Sign of Infection: Digestive Issues

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Digestive issues like diarrhea could be the first sign of coronavirus infection, according to a new study.

Although most patients with COVID-19 have respiratory symptoms, the Wuhan Medical Treatment Expert Group for COVID-19 found that many patients also had digestive problems in the early stages of the outbreak in Wuhan, China.

Specifically, 99 of the 204 researched patients with COVID-19, 48.5 percent, had digestive symptoms as their “chief complaint,” according to the study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology on March 18.

These digestive issues include diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

“Clinicians should recognize that digestive symptoms, such as diarrhea, may be a presenting feature of COVID-19, and that the index of suspicion may need to be raised earlier in at-risk patients presenting with digestive symptoms rather than waiting for respiratory symptoms to emerge,” the researchers said.

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Of the 99 cases with digestive symptoms, seven patients reported not having any respiratory problems, which has been one of the most common signs of the coronavirus.

The study also found that there was a larger gap in time between illness onset and hospital admission for patients with digestive symptoms than patients without (nine days vs. 7.3 days).

This suggests that patients with digestive issues waited longer before going to the hospital because they didn’t suspect they had the coronavirus.

The study also found that patients without digestive symptoms were more likely to be cured than those who reported digestive symptoms (60 percent compared to 30.4 percent).

“In this study, COVID-19 patients with digestive symptoms have a worse clinical outcome and higher risk of mortality compared to those without digestive symptoms, emphasizing the importance of including symptoms like diarrhea to suspect COVID-19 early in the disease course before respiratory symptoms develop,” American Journal of Gastroenterology Co-Editor-in-Chief Brennan M.R. Spiegel said in a news release.

“This may lead to earlier diagnosis of COVID-19, which can lead to earlier treatment and more expeditious quarantine to minimize transmission from people who otherwise remain undiagnosed.”

The study found that as the severity of the virus increased, the digestive symptoms became even more serious.

“This is important because if clinicians solely monitor for respiratory symptoms to establish case definitions for COVID-19, they may miss cases initially presenting with extra-pulmonary symptoms, or the disease may not be diagnosed later until respiratory symptoms emerge,” the study authors wrote.

The researchers acknowledged that more studies needed to be conducted in order to evaluate the “prevalence, incidence, predictors, and outcomes of digestive symptoms in this still emerging pandemic.”

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As of March 20, there were more than 263,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus across the world.

There have also been at least 10,444 fatalities, though 87,351 people have recovered from the virus.

In the United States, there were 14,631 confirmed cases and 210 fatalities as of March 20.

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Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. A University of Oregon graduate, Erin has conducted research in data journalism and contributed to various publications as a writer and editor.
Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. She grew up in San Diego, California, proceeding to attend the University of Oregon and graduate with honors holding a degree in journalism. During her time in Oregon, Erin was an associate editor for Ethos Magazine and a freelance writer for Eugene Magazine. She has conducted research in data journalism, which has been published in the book “Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future.” Erin is an avid runner with a heart for encouraging young girls and has served as a coach for the organization Girls on the Run. As a writer and editor, Erin strives to promote social dialogue and tell the story of those around her.
Birthplace
Tucson, Arizona
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated with Honors
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, University of Oregon
Books Written
Contributor for Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future
Location
Prescott, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English, French
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Health, Entertainment, Faith




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