• Hu Zhang, Yu-Sheng Liao, Jing Gong, Jing Liu, Xi Xia, and Heng Zhang.
• Department of Gastroenterology, the Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 26 Shengli Street, Jiang'an District, Wuhan 430014, China.
• Dig Liver Dis. 2020 Oct 1; 52 (10): 1076-1079.

ObjectiveTo explore the clinical characteristics of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) patients with gastrointestinal symptoms.MethodsThe clinical data of 164 COVID-19 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms were extracted and analysed retrospectively.ResultsIn total, 505 COVID-19 patients were divided into two groups: those with gastrointestinal symptoms (G group) and those without gastrointestinal symptoms (NG group). Common gastrointestinal symptoms included inappetence, diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal pain, and vomiting. Significantly higher proportions of patients with fever, dizziness, myalgia, and fatigue were noted in group G than in group NG. Compared with patients without fever, there was a significant difference between G group and NG group in moderate fever or above, while there was no significant difference between the two groups in low fever. The laboratory results showed that patients in the G group had significantly higher C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase levels than those in the NG group. Moreover, the proportion of patients with severe pneumonia was significantly higher in the G group than in the NG group.ConclusionIn Wuhan, the proportion of COVID-19 patients who experience gastrointestinal symptoms is relatively high. Patients who experience gastrointestinal symptoms are more likely to suffer from severe pneumonia, which may help clinicians identify patients at high risk of COVID-19 and thus reduce the incidence of this condition.© 2020 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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