Clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms admitted to Jianghan Fangcang Shelter Hospital in Wuhan, China

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a health emergency worldwide, and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are increasingly reported in COVID-19 patients. However, sample size was small and the incidence of GI symptoms in patients was variable across studies, and the correlation between these symptoms and clinical outcomes remains incompletely understood. The objective of this study is to compare clinical characteristics and outcomes between patients with and without GI symptoms admitted to Jianghan Fangcang Shelter Hospital in Wuhan. This retrospective study recruited 1320 COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital from 5 February 2020 to 9 March 2020. On the basis of the presence of GI symptoms, the sample was divided into a GI group (n = 192) and a non-GI group (n = 1128). The three most common GI symptoms were diarrhea (8.1%), anorexia (4.7%), and nausea and vomiting (4.3%). The rate of clinical deterioration was significantly higher in the GI group than in the non-GI group (15.6% vs. 10.1%,P = .032). GI symptoms (P = .045), male genderP < .001), and increased C-reactive protein (P = .008) were independent risk factors for clinical worsening. This study demonstrated that the rate of clinical deterioration was significantly higher in the GI group. Furthermore, potential risk factors for developing GI symptoms, male gender, and increased C-reactive protein can help clinicians predict clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients.