Post-covid functional diseases of gastrointestinal tract

Aim. To assess the frequency of functional gastrointestinal diseases after COVID-19 and identify factors associated with the post-COVID esophageal syndrome. Materials and methods. The study included data from 72 (31 men and 41 women) patients over the age of 18 who had COVID-19. Patients were divided into two groups: with or without gastroenterological symptoms during acute coronavirus infection. Results and Discussion: After 6 months from the onset of the coronavirus infection, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) developed in 29% of patients with gastrointestinal symptoms and only in 7% of patients without symptoms in the acute stage of infection. The concurrent development of two digestive system diseases (more often a cross syndrome of Functional Dyspepsia and IBS) was 2.6 times more common in the first group of patients. Statistically significant risk factors for the development of post COVID functional digestive diseases were: diarrhea, abdominal pain, anorexia, anosmia, and agenesis. Conclusion. The presence of gastrointestinal symptoms at the baseline level of COVID-19 was more frequently associated with the development of functional gastrointestinal tract disorders during a six-month follow-up.