As Coronavirus continues to cause havoc all over the world, scientists are still busy finding more about the virus.
The latest findings by some scientists in China showed that digestive problems including diarrhoea, vomiting and loss of appetite could be a symptom of coronavirus.
The scientists studied 204 patients in Wuhan, where the outbreak of coronavirus was first reported last December.
The study found 99 patients (48.5 per cent) going to the hospital with digestive issues as their main ailment.
Researchers however found that majority of these patients did not have underlying digestive diseases.
Details of the study showed that loss of appetite (83 per cent) and diarrhoea (29 per cent) were the main symptoms for these patients with digestive problems.
Some of the patients also reported of vomiting (0.8 per cent) and abdominal pain (0.4 per cent).
Most of these patients did experience respiratory issues though with persistent dry cough or trouble breathing.
In recovering quickly from the virus, scientists said patients without digestive symptoms were more likely to be cured and discharged than those with digestive symptoms.
The study has been scrutinized by other academics and published this week in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
The researchers wrote that “We found that digestive symptoms are a common presenting complaint in patients with COVID-19.
Compared to patients without digestive symptoms, those presenting with digestive symptoms have a longer time from onset to admission and a worse prognosis.”
Dr Brennan Spiegel, co-editor of the journal the study was published in, said in a statement that “In this study, COVID-19 patients with digestive symptoms have a worse clinical outcome and higher risk of [death] compared to those without digestive symptoms, emphasising the importance of including symptoms like diarrhoea to suspect COVID-19 early in the disease course before respiratory symptoms develop.”
He adds that “This may lead to earlier diagnosis of COVID-19, which can lead to earlier treatment and more expeditious quarantine to minimise transmission from people who otherwise remain undiagnosed.”
Over 200,000 people have been infected by Coronavirus with over 10,000 deaths so far.
Source: Africafeeds.com
