Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Aug 9, 2024 21:03:54 GMT
Cause of 'Covid tummy' uncovered as one of its most common symptoms cracked - Published Aug 8, 2024
Covid infections are on the rise across the UK, with 'Covid tummy' among the most commonly reported symptoms
Researchers using a "mini-intestine" to find out how Covid infections affect your stomach believe they have cracked one of the illness' most common symptoms. Using an advanced form of stem cell research, scientists at John Hopkins University were able to uncover how the virus causes "Covid tummy", as well as the connection between the gut and long Covid.
Covid cases have risen across the UK this summer, with thousands coming down with new FLiRT variants of coronavirus and a worrying rise in fatalities linked to the illness. In the latest reported data from the UK Health Security Agency, around 200 people are dying every week with coronavirus listed on their death certificate.
Many scientists believe Covid is here to stay, making the development of effective treatments key to lowering the threat posed by the virus. The team at John Hopkins looked into a common symptom reported by around half of those infected, diarrhoea, and found the virus functioned similarly in the gut as it does in the lungs, but with the ability to "persist in the intestine for a long time."
Dr Mark Donowitz, M.D., Emeritus Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine explained: "While COVID-19 diarrhoea is not life-threatening like cholera, it can often predict a severe case and also who gets the long Covid syndrome."
According to health data, around a third (30%) of those who develop stomach issues during a Covid infection go on to develop these persistent symptoms, often called long Covid. Sufferers have reported brain fog lasting months, as well as chronic fatigue and shortness of breath, as symptoms of the debilitating condition.
In order to gain insight into the effect of coronavirus on the human gut, Dr Donowitz and his team at John Hopkins used stem cells to create a model of a normal human intestine, called an enteroid. The researchers stimulated the human stem cells to form into the lining of an intestine, in a single layer on a petri dish.
While examining how Covid affected the intestine cells, the team noted that the two main gut mechanisms that trigger diarrhoea, a protein issue or inflammation, were both causing the issue. In most bacterial or viral infections that cause diarrhoea, only one of these mechanisms causes an upset stomach.
The study found the virus caused similar inflammatory effects in the intestine as it does in the lungs and other parts of the body, suggesting that non-invasive tests could provide healthcare professionals a better idea of how to treat stomach-related symptoms. Speaking to MedicalNews, Dr Donowitz said: "The precise mechanisms of long COVID are a big mystery, although we now know that the virus can persist in the intestine for a long time,
"The next big question is to determine what exactly allows the virus to live in the intestine and what allows the virus to live over a long period of time."
Covid infections are on the rise across the UK, with 'Covid tummy' among the most commonly reported symptoms
Researchers using a "mini-intestine" to find out how Covid infections affect your stomach believe they have cracked one of the illness' most common symptoms. Using an advanced form of stem cell research, scientists at John Hopkins University were able to uncover how the virus causes "Covid tummy", as well as the connection between the gut and long Covid.
Covid cases have risen across the UK this summer, with thousands coming down with new FLiRT variants of coronavirus and a worrying rise in fatalities linked to the illness. In the latest reported data from the UK Health Security Agency, around 200 people are dying every week with coronavirus listed on their death certificate.
Many scientists believe Covid is here to stay, making the development of effective treatments key to lowering the threat posed by the virus. The team at John Hopkins looked into a common symptom reported by around half of those infected, diarrhoea, and found the virus functioned similarly in the gut as it does in the lungs, but with the ability to "persist in the intestine for a long time."
Dr Mark Donowitz, M.D., Emeritus Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine explained: "While COVID-19 diarrhoea is not life-threatening like cholera, it can often predict a severe case and also who gets the long Covid syndrome."
According to health data, around a third (30%) of those who develop stomach issues during a Covid infection go on to develop these persistent symptoms, often called long Covid. Sufferers have reported brain fog lasting months, as well as chronic fatigue and shortness of breath, as symptoms of the debilitating condition.
In order to gain insight into the effect of coronavirus on the human gut, Dr Donowitz and his team at John Hopkins used stem cells to create a model of a normal human intestine, called an enteroid. The researchers stimulated the human stem cells to form into the lining of an intestine, in a single layer on a petri dish.
While examining how Covid affected the intestine cells, the team noted that the two main gut mechanisms that trigger diarrhoea, a protein issue or inflammation, were both causing the issue. In most bacterial or viral infections that cause diarrhoea, only one of these mechanisms causes an upset stomach.
The study found the virus caused similar inflammatory effects in the intestine as it does in the lungs and other parts of the body, suggesting that non-invasive tests could provide healthcare professionals a better idea of how to treat stomach-related symptoms. Speaking to MedicalNews, Dr Donowitz said: "The precise mechanisms of long COVID are a big mystery, although we now know that the virus can persist in the intestine for a long time,
"The next big question is to determine what exactly allows the virus to live in the intestine and what allows the virus to live over a long period of time."