Specialized rescue crews conduct an emergency rescue drill aimed at assisting hospitals designated for treatment of COVID-19 patients in northern Seoul on Jan. 6, 2021. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 8 (Korea Bizwire) — COVID-19 patients including those suffering from both mild and severe syptoms are experiencing a severe imbalance of microorganisms inside the stomach.
A research team from the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital collected stool samples from 12 COVID-19 patients, both asymptomatic and mild, transferred to a public health center in Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang Province in April last year, before and after they were infected.
The results showed that the diversity of microorganisms inside the patients’ intestines dropped significantly when they were infected with COVID-19, and recovered when fully cured.
Microorganisms inside a healthy person’s intestine include a balanced amount of bacteroides and firmicutes, comprising approximately 90 percent of all microorganisms inside the stomach.
For asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 patients, however, the amount of bacteroides plunged down to as low as 5 percent, resulting in a drastic imbalance between the amount of bacteroides and firmicutes.
Following full recovery, the amount of bacteroides quickly rose up to more than 30 percent.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
