A new lab study has suggested that the gut microbiome may have a role to play in COVID-19 severity.

Patients with decreased levels of certain bacterial species hadhigher concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, and blood markers including C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and aspartate aminotransferase, reported researchers in Gut. Investigators assessed blood and stool samples from 100 confirmed COVID-19 patients in two Hong Kong hospitals from February to March 2020, including serial stool samples from 27 of 100 patients up to 30 days following the clearance of SARS-CoV-2. Almost all patients had mild or moderate disease, with 5% having severe disease and 3% with critical disease. In comparison with adult controls without COVID-19, these patients had more Ruminococcusgnavus, Ruminococcus torques, and Bacteroidesdorei species, irrespective of whether or not they received medication. Gut microbiota composition was found to be associated with the magnitude of immune response to COVID-19 and subsequent tissue damage and thus appears to play a role in regulating disease severity, noted researchers… (Medpage Today)