As the world races to find the best ways to cope with the new coronavirus, researchers continue to contribute to our understanding of COVID-19, the disease that the virus causes. The new variant transmits more easily than other variants, although it is not known to cause more severe disease. Gastrointestinal issues could indicate an infection.
New research into data from more than 200 people who received medical care for COVID-19 reveals that almost half of this group experienced digestive symptoms, such as loss of appetite and diarrhoea, said Medical News Today.
The health site continued: “The exact symptoms are a main point of interest among health experts.
“As with many other viral infections, SARS-CoV-2 infections cause different symptoms in different people.
“But which symptoms are the most common, and which others are still likely to affect a significant number of people?
“According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO), three of the most common symptoms are a fever, coughing, and some difficulty breathing.
“However, people with COVID-19 have reported many other symptoms including digestive ones.”
How to treat symptoms
According to the NHS, if you have a high temperature, it can help to get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids (water is best) to avoid dehydration – drink enough so your pee is light yellow and clear.
The health body also says to take paracetamol or ibuprofen if you feel uncomfortable.
There have been some news reports of anti-inflammatory painkillers, such as ibuprofen, making coronavirus worse.
The Commission on Human Medicines has now confirmed there is no clear evidence using ibuprofen to treat symptoms such as a high temperature makes coronavirus worse.
To have a healthy gut is an indicator of having a good immunity against infectious disease such as the deadly virus sweeping across the world.
To help maintain good microbiome diversity in the gut, people are advised to consume high-quality plant-based foods that are rich in fibre and avoid the consumption of processed foods as much as possible.
Include more probiotics in the diet which helps with the development of good bacteria. Eating more foods such as yoghurt, cheese and kefir will help with good gut health.