NYTimes: Long Covid Patients More Likely to Have Gastrointestinal Problems, Study Finds

A new study suggests that COVID patients are more likely to suffer from gastrointestinal issues a year after diagnosis than those that never had COVID. These issues include different forms of acid reflux, and peptic ulcers. A lower percentage of patients experience more seriously inflammatory issues related to the GI tract, but still experienced these in higher numbers than those with no prior COVID infection. It is also important to note that this study was conducted on patients who were infected during the first year of the COVID pandemic, and scientists do not yet know if the effects on the GI tract vary for newer, more presently relevant variants. Researchers explain these effects as the result of two possibilities: a protein that lines the small intestine that COVID can infiltrate, as well as the delicate balance between the gut microbiome and the brain. These results are another example of how we are continuously learning ways that COVID-19 has affected our current disease landscape. To read the full article, click here. To read more about COVID-19, click here.