COVID-19 and the small intestine

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 virus enters the body through the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2), which is the entry point of the virus into the cell. The most dense fabric of ACE-2 is the lungs. The small intestine also contains large amounts of ACE-2 in the enterocyte membrane and is often involved in this process. Intestinal symptoms can appear at different stages of the disease. The review describes the mechanisms of interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with enterocytes, the fecal-oral route of infection, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 with intestinal symptoms.

Keywords

• covid-19
• small intestine
• angiotensin converting enzyme-2
• enterocyte
• oral-fecal route of infection
• enteritis
• colitis
• probiotics
• enteral/parenteral nutrition