Mechanisms of gastrointestinal barrier dysfunction in COVID-19 patients

Core Tip

Core Tip: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a major global public health event, resulting in a significant social and economic burden. Although COVID-19 was initially characterized as an upper respiratory and pulmonary infection, recent evidence suggests that it is a complex disease including gastrointestinal symptoms. Moreover, it remains unclear whether the gastrointestinal symptoms are caused by direct infection of the gastrointestinal tract by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or are the result of systemic immune activation and subsequent dysregulation of homeostatic mechanisms. This review provides a brief overview of the mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 disrupts gastrointestinal barrier integrity.