Emerging Diseases
MARCH 6, 2020
COVID-19 Infects GI Tract, a Possible Route of Viral Transmission
By David Wild
Researchers in China are warning that the virus causing the novel coronavirus infection COVID-19, which has affected over 100,000 people and killed more than 3,200 globally, can potentially be transmitted through feces.
The reports, published online in
Gastroenterology, found that more than 50% of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have the virus in their stool; some patients have vomiting and diarrhea; and some test positive for virus in stool even after respiratory samples test negative for the pathogen.
“A better understanding of how this virus is transmitted is key to preventing its spread,” said Douglas Corley, MD, PhD, the director of delivery science and applied research and a gastroenterologist and research scientist at Kaiser Permanente, Northern California, and the co-editor of
Gastroenterology. Dr. Corley was not involved in the research. “These observations may help improve how the disease is more efficiently diagnosed through testing for the presence of virus in the stool of patients suspected of harboring this virus.”
(this for me is more frightening than a sneeze/cough transmission. We had two years of constant restaurant closings due to Hepatitis. Most cases were linked to restaurant/food court staff.)
Lexington has 100+ restaurants on probation for health violations; hepatitis A raises concern, but no cases have been related to food – Kentucky Health News many more links out here about the hep crisis the last couple years. So, if Covid 19 travels the fecal-oral route, buckle up, imo.
Iirc, our largest state mall had to shut their food court down last year to sanitize it.
Waves and hugs everyone
