A report published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in Practice has found no evidence that patients with eosinophilic gastrointestinal diesases (EGIDs) are more at risk of severe COVID-19 than the general population.

The study authors, Noam Zevit MD, Mirna Chehade MD MPH, John Leung MD, Luba Marderfeld MSc and Evan S. Dellon MD MPH, created an online global registry that collected physician entered, anonymised demographic data, EGID disease features, comorbidities and treatments, source of COVID-19 exposure, symptoms, severity, hospitalisations and deaths.

We have been helping the authors to promote the registry to our global network since March 2020, and would like to thank everyone in our community of healthcare professionals and patient/carers who completed it or helped spread awareness of this highly important research.

Results

Ninety-four cases were reported between March 2020 and April 2021. Most patients (70%) had a mild course of COVID-19, while 15% were asymptomatic, 12% had a moderate course of the virus, and 2% had severe symptoms. Three patients were hospitalised, and there were no ICU admissions or deaths.

For further breakdown of the patient demographics, EGID diagnoses and treatments, see the publication here.

The mean time from first symptoms to resolution in symptomatic patients was 10 days (range: 1-90 days). One EGID flare was reported during COVID-19.

The severity of COVID-19 cases reported in this registry is comparable to that of the general population. Therefore, from this research, there is no evidence that EGID patients are more at risk of severe COVID-19, and it does not appear that the virus leads to EGID flares.

Further research

The absence of correlation is supported in Helene F. Rosenberg and Paul S. Fostera's review of literature linking eosinophils with the diagnosis, pathogenesis, and vaccine strategies used to combat COVID-19.

They find that although there have been some reported cases of misdiagnosis and eosinophil-associated complications of COVID-19, current evidence suggests that patients with longstanding eosinophil-associated disorders show no increased risk for severe disease. There have also been no reported complications in response to the FDA-approved vaccines.

Links

• Eosinophils and COVID-19: diagnosis, prognosis, and vaccination strategies

• Eosinophilic Esophagitis Patients Are Not at Increased Risk of Severe COVID-19: A Report From a Global Registry

• Clinical and Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Infection in Adult Patients with Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders during the SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak

• Lack of complications in patients with eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases during SARS-CoV-2 outbreak

Please note this research is focused on EGID only, for people with additional health problems further condition-specific COVID-19 information and guidance should also be considered.