10 findings about COVID-19 and the digestive system
Endoscopists might be at risk, say Chinese gastroenterologists
The SARS-CoV-2 virus may be taken up by cells in the GI tract, potentially putting gastroenterologists at risk when treating people with the infection, Hong Kong doctors say.
Gastroenterologists from the Chinese University of Hong Kong reviewed the evidence on how the virus affects the digestive system.
Here’s what they found:
- The ACE2 receptor that the virus uses to enter cells is widely expressed in epithelial cells of the GI tract.
- The virus has been detected in rectal swabs and stools of patients