Link to article: Could the severity of
COVID-19 be increased by low gastric acidity?
by Elizabeth Price
Could low gastric acidity increase the risk of a severe
COVID-19 illness? Although it is primarily a respiratory infection,
gastrointestinal involvement from swallowed coronaviruses is reported for
SARS-CoV-2 (the virus of COVID-19 [1, 2]), as well as SARS-CoV-1 [3] and MERS-CoV viruses [4].
The gastrointestinal tract may be a secondary route for
spread to the lungs and other parts of the body. A possible hypothesis might be
that the upper respiratory tract is attacked by viruses which are breathed in
and coughed up in sputum while the lower respiratory tract is similarly
infected, but is also attacked at the same time by blood-borne viruses
(following translocation from a significant viral load in the gastrointestinal
tract). The former might result in mild or moderate illnesses only. The latter
may cause a more severe illness, as the lungs are being attacked by viruses
coming from two routes simultaneously…
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