According to the study published in the journal Molecular Biomedicine, Rutgers scientists revealed that acute infections can upset a healthy balance between good and bad microbes in the gut, especially with antibiotic treatment.

In the human body, the microbiome interacts with metabolism, the immune system, and the central nervous system to influence human health. The microbiome has many different functions, and one of them is to protect the human body against invading pathogens, whether they are bacteria, viruses, or fungi. On the other hand, any disturbances in this balance between beneficial and pathogenic microbes in a person’s microbiome can result in a condition known as dysbiosis.

For the study, the researchers counted the populations of bacteria in feces samples collected from 20 COVID-19 patients, 20 healthy donors, and 20 COVID-19-recovered participants. The findings of the ongoing study revealed that COVID-19 patients and recovered individuals were suffering from gastrointestinal issues. In the study, the researchers discovered significant variations in the populations of 55 different bacterial species.

The microbiome counting showed significant differences in the gut microbiome of people who had COVID-19 in comparison to those who were not ill. Additionally, a similar pattern of the disturbed microbiome was observed in individuals who were administered antibiotics. 

(Source: https://theprint.in/health/gut-microbes-disturbed-by-covid-19-infection-antibiotics-research/1240424/ )