Diarrhea is the first sign of illness for some Covid-19 patients

Rachael Rettner reports in LiveScience,

Some patients with COVID-19 experience gastrointestinal symptoms, particularly diarrhea, as the first sign of illness, according to a new study.

Among this subset of patients — who have mild disease overall — respiratory symptoms show up only later in the illness, and some never develop respiratory symptoms at all, the authors said.

The findings are important because those without classic symptoms of COVID-19 — such as cough, shortness of breath and fever — may go undiagnosed and could potentially spread the illness to others, the researchers said.

Still, they note that digestive problems are common overall and don't necessarily mean that a person has COVID-19. But doctors should recognize that sudden digestive symptoms in people with a possible COVID-19 contact "should at least prompt consideration of the illness," the authors wrote in their paper, published ahead of print Monday (March 30) in The American Journal of Gastroenterology. "Failure to recognize these patients early and often may lead to unwitting spread of the disease."

...Overall, "these data emphasize that patients with new-onset diarrhea after a possible COVID-19 contact should be suspected for the illness, even in the absence of cough, shortness of breath, sore throat or even fever," the authors concluded. "Optimally, testing for COVID-19 should be performed using both respiratory and stool samples, if available."

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