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Narrative review on COVID-19 and gut microbiome disruption and immune effectsMicrobiome disruption may link SARS-CoV-2 to long-term health issues

AI-generated summary of the cited source, checked by automated accuracy review. How we work

Key Takeaway
Consider the observational link between COVID-19, gut dysbiosis, and immune changes for pandemic planning.

This is a narrative review on COVID-19 and the intestinal microbiome. The scope covers how SARS-CoV-2 infection relates to microbiome disruption, potential roles for probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation, and implications for immune and neuropsychiatric outcomes.

The authors synthesize that SARS-CoV-2 infection can induce intestinal dysbiosis and modify immune signaling. They note that neuropsychiatric and metabolic complications may be affected by the microbiota-gut-brain axis. No pooled effect sizes or quantitative results are reported.

Key limitations noted include the lack of reported effect sizes, absolute numbers, p-values, or confidence intervals for the synthesized findings. The review does not report a defined study population, sample size, or follow-up period.

Practice relevance is framed as integrating microbiome research into pandemic preparedness through a One Health approach. The authors do not report safety data or causality assessments, and the evidence remains observational and preliminary.

This narrative review explores how the intestinal microbiome interacts with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The authors discuss how the virus might cause intestinal dysbiosis and modify immune signaling. They also note that the microbiota-gut-brain axis could affect neuropsychiatric and metabolic complications. Because the study is a narrative review, it summarizes existing ideas rather than testing new treatments on people. No specific patient groups or sample sizes were reported in this source. The authors did not find safety data or adverse events because this was not a clinical trial. The main reason to be careful is that these are theoretical connections, not proven causes. Readers should understand that integrating microbiome research into pandemic preparedness is a suggestion for future planning. This approach fits within a One Health framework that connects human, animal, and environmental health. More research is needed before any specific advice can be given to patients.

What this means for you:
This review suggests gut bacteria changes may link to COVID-19 complications, but more research is needed.

Study Details

Study typeSystematic review
EvidenceLevel 1
PublishedMay 2026
View Original Abstract ↓
Emerging infectious diseases, particularly zoonotic ones, remain major global health concerns. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), highlights the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health within the One Health framework. The intestinal microbiome plays a central role in host immunity and systemic homeostasis, and its disruption has been linked to altered disease severity and recovery patterns in COVID-19. Evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection induces intestinal dysbiosis, modifies immune signaling, and affects the microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA), contributing to neuropsychiatric and metabolic complications. This review synthesizes current findings on the intestinal microbiome’s role in COVID-19 pathophysiology and recovery, explores emerging therapeutic strategies including probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation, and emphasizes the importance of integrating microbiome research into pandemic preparedness through a One Health approach.
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