Association of Digestive Symptoms and Hospitalization in Patients With SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Introduction: High rates of concurrent gastrointestinal manifestations have been noted in patients with corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, the association between these digestive manifestations and need for hospitalization has not been established.

Methods: This is a retrospective review of consecutive patients diagnosed with COVID-19. A total of 207 patients were identified; 34.5% of patients noted concurrent gastrointestinal symptoms, with 90% of gastrointestinal symptoms being mild.

Results: In a multivariate regression model controlled for demographics and disease severity, an increased risk of hospitalization was noted in patients with any digestive symptom (adjusted odds ratio 4.84, 95% confidence interval: 1.68-13.94).

Discussion: The presence of digestive symptoms in COVID-19 is associated with a need for hospitalization.