Analyzing the Gut Microbiome through Stool Studies of Patients with COVID-19

Overview

With the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a vital deliberation emerged regarding the disease’s effect on patients’ gut microbiomes. The gut microbiome comprises the microorganisms that reside in an animal’s digestive tract and are crucial for biological homeostasis. This study assessed the possible consequences COVID-19 may have on patients’ gut milieu based on fecal samples. The study’s methods were approved by Wayne State University’s Institutional Review Board. This was a prospective study in which patients’ stool samples were periodically collected. Data collection included patients’ general backgrounds, prior comorbidities, hospitalization information, and the presence of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO), C. difficile, or COVID-19. Additionally, information was recorded on the number of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) detected in each patient’s stool samples, as a measure of gut diversity. When comparing the gut microbiomes of the COVID-19 positive cohort, C. difficile positive cohort, MDRO positive cohort, and healthy cohort, the COVID-19 cohort (128.5 ASVs) had slightly less diversity than the healthy cohort (136 ASVs), but still greater diversity than the C. difficile (84.4 ASVs) and MDRO cohort (92.3). The research reflects that the variance in gut microbial diversity between the different cohorts may be because of the presence or absence of antibiotic usage and resistance. This strengthens the hypothesis that lack of exposure to gut bacteria due to increasing antibiotic usage can lead to infectious diseases. Additionally, gut microbiome differences may explain the presence of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (“long COVID”) in some patients.

Competition history

• JSHS 2023 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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