Alcohol-related hepatitis: A review article

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exacted a heavy toll on patients with alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD).The collective burden of ALD and AUD was large and growing, even before the COVID-19 pandemic.There is accumulating evidence that this pandemic has had a large direct effect on these patients and is likely to produce indirect effects through delays in care, psychological strain, and increased alcohol use.Now a year into the pandemic, it is important that clinicians fully understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with ALD and AUD.To fill existing gaps in knowledge, the scientific community must set research priorities for patients with ALD regarding their risk of COVID-19, prevention/treatment of COVID-19, changes in alcohol use during the pandemic, best use of AUD treatments in the COVID-19 era, and downstream effects of this pandemic on ALD.Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has already inflicted disproportionate harms on patients with ALD, and ongoing, focused research efforts will be critical to better understand the direct and collateral effects of this pandemic on ALD.(Hepatology Communications 2021;5:1616-1621). Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral infection, has had important direct and indirect effects on patients with alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD).Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the global toll of ALD was sizable, and COVID-19 has inflicted disproportionate negative effects on this population.Early data suggest that patients with chronic liver disease, and particularly those with ALD, may be at greater risk of mortality if infected by SARS-CoV-2. (1)(2(3) Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting social and economic stressors have contributed to increased psychological strain for many individuals, including those with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and ALD.As a result, the pandemic is likely to enact collateral damage on this population through delays in care and increases in alcohol use.Changes in alcohol use patterns may lead to alcohol-associated hepatitis and liver-related mortality.At the current time, approximately 1 year since SARS-CoV-2 virus was first identified, (4) it is important that we assess the effects of this pandemic on patients with ALD and define research priorities needed to mitigate these effects. Pre-COVID-19 ALD BurdenIn the pre-COVID-19 era, the burden of AUD and ALD was large and growing.National data from the United States show that the prevalence of AUD and high-risk drinking has increased in recent years. (5)