Gut Microbiota Dynamics in Relation to Long-COVID-19 Syndrome: Role of Probiotics to Combat Psychiatric Complications

• Published in: Metabolites Vol. 12; no. 10; p. 912
• Main Authors: Alenazy, Maha F, Aljohar, Haya I, Alruwaili, Ashwag R, Daghestani, Maha H, Alonazi, Mona A, Labban, Ranyah S, El-Ansary, Afaf K, Balto, Hanan A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 27-09-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Cardiovascular disease; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Cytokines; Dementia disorders; Disease transmission; Exocrine glands; Feces; gut microbiota; gut–organ axis; Health aspects; Infections; Inflammation; Intestinal microflora; Liver; long COVID-19; Microbiota; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); Mortality; Oral hygiene; Ostomy; Pathogens; Patients; Permeability; Probiotics; psychiatric disorders; Review; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Sleep disorders; Viral infections; Saudi Arabia
• ISSN: 2218-1989; 2218-1989
• DOI: 10.3390/metabo12100912

Increasing numbers of patients who recover from COVID-19 report lasting symptoms, such as fatigue, muscle weakness, dementia, and insomnia, known collectively as post-acute COVID syndrome or long COVID. These lasting symptoms have been examined in different studies and found to influence multiple organs, sometimes resulting in life-threating conditions. In this review, these symptoms are discussed in connection to the COVID-19 and long-COVID-19 immune changes, highlighting oral and psychiatric health, as this work focuses on the gut microbiota’s link to long-COVID-19 manifestations in the liver, heart, kidney, brain, and spleen. A model of this is presented to show the biological and clinical implications of gut microbiota in SARS-CoV-2 infection and how they could possibly affect the therapeutic aspects of the disease. Probiotics can support the body’s systems in fighting viral infections. This review focuses on current knowledge about the use of probiotics as adjuvant therapies for COVID-19 patients that might help to prevent long-COVID-19 complications.