Post‐infection functional gastrointestinal disorders following coronavirus disease‐19: A case–control study

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background and Aim</jats:title><jats:p>Because acute infectious gastroenteritis may cause post‐infection irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 affects gastrointestinal (GI) tract, coronavirus disease‐19 (COVID‐19) may cause post‐infection‐functional GI disorders (FGIDs). We prospectively studied the frequency and spectrum of post‐infection‐FGIDs among COVID‐19 and historical healthy controls and the risk factors for its development.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Two hundred eighty patients with COVID‐19 and 264 historical healthy controls were followed up at 1 and 3 months using translated validated Rome Questionnaires for the development of chronic bowel dysfunction (CBD), dyspeptic symptoms, and their overlap and at 6‐month for IBS, uninvestigated dyspepsia (UD) and their overlap. Psychological comorbidity was studied using Rome III Psychosocial Alarm Questionnaire.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>At 1 and 3 months, 16 (5.7%), 16 (5.7%), 11 (3.9%), and 24 (8.6%), 6 (2.1%), 9 (3.2%) of COVID‐19 patients developed CBD, dyspeptic symptoms, and their overlap, respectively; among healthy controls, none developed dyspeptic symptoms and one developed CBD at 3 months (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> < 0.05). At 6 months, 15 (5.3%), 6 (2.1%), and 5 (1.8%) of the 280 COVID‐19 patients developed IBS, UD, and IBS‐UD overlap, respectively, and one healthy control developed IBS at 6 months (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> < 0.05 for all except IBS‐UD overlap). The risk factors for post‐COVID‐19 FGIDs at 6 months included symptoms (particularly GI), anosmia, ageusia, and presence of CBD, dyspeptic symptoms, or their overlap at 1 and 3 months and the psychological comorbidity.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>This is the first study showing COVID‐19 led to post‐COVID‐19 FGIDs. Post‐COVID‐19 FGIDs may pose a significant economic, social, and healthcare burden to the world.</jats:p></jats:sec>