Gastrointestinal Manifestations in COVID 19: A Moroccan Bicentric Study

Abstract

Since its declaration in December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has been rapidly responsible for a major global pandemic. The disease is mainly characterized by respiratory symptoms; nevertheless digestive manifestations have been frequently reported. The objective of our study is to describe the epidemiological, clinical, evolutionary profile of diagnosed cases of COVID-19 with digestive manifestations. This is a retrospective bicentric descriptive study carried out in patients with COVID-19 at the Hassan II Hospital in Agadir and at the Mohammed VI University Hospital in Marrakech, from April 2020 to May 2021. Digestive manifestations are frequent and varied in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. They may present as the main complaint or the only manifestation of the disease, leading to delayed diagnosis and increased risk of transmission. It has been noted that SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in fecal matter for an extended period of time, even after respiratory samples have tested negative and patients are asymptomatic. Treatment of these symptoms is mandatory to prevent transmission of the disease and progression to complications that can worsen the prognosis.