Apr 23 Liver injury in COVID-19: management and challenges
Posted at 20: 15h
in COVID-19
Chao Zhang, Lei Shi, Fu-Sheng Wang
ABSTRACT
SARS-CoV-2 shares 82% genome sequence similarity to SARS-CoV and 50% genomic sequence homology to the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). All three coronaviruses are known to cause severe respiratory symptoms. Liver failure has been reported in up to 60% of patients with SARS and has also been reported in patients infected with MERS-CoV.
Liver damage in patients with coronavirus infections could be caused directly by viral infection of liver cells.
Approximately 2 to 10% of COVID-19 patients experience diarrhea, and SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been detected in stool and blood samples. This evidence implicates the possibility of viral exposure in the liver.