Covid in Children: Gastrointestinal Disorders?
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Chinese researchers have noted gastrointestinal symptoms in five children admitted to the hospital for reasons unrelated to Covid-19. These five cases have been found to be positive for the virus.
Given the number of cases observed for this study, the results are only in the hypothetical stage. However, they did attract expert attention. According to research published by Frontiers in Pediatrics and conducted by Dr. Wenbin Li's team at Tongij Hospital in China, children with intestinal symptoms may have coronavirus.
In this study, the researchers report the clinical characteristics of five children admitted to the hospital with non-respiratory symptoms, who were later diagnosed with pneumonia and Covid-19. The team suggests a scientific explanation: The type of receptors for lung cells attacked by the virus is also found in the intestines.
Do not miss the initial stage
"Most children are mildly affected by the coronavirus, and the few severe cases often have underlying health problems. It is easy to miss the diagnosis at an early stage, when a child has symptoms other than the disease. "says Wenbin Li.
"In our experience, children with symptoms of the digestive tract, especially with fever and / or a history of exposure to this disease, should be suspected of being infected with this virus."
Continue research on a larger scale.
The children in question went to the emergency room for problems unrelated to Covid-19, such as a kidney stone or a head injury. A chest scan revealed the presence of pneumonia, and a diagnostic test confirmed the virus infection. "It is important to note that four of the five cases presented symptoms of the digestive tract as the first manifestation of this disease," insists the doctor.
By alerting the medical community, the team hopes this information will help quickly diagnose and isolate patients with similar symptoms. However, the researchers are aware that more work, on a larger scale, will be needed to confirm their results.
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