What Impact Does COVID-19 Have in Cirrhotics?

Abstract

SARS-Cov-2 is a novel coronavirus discovered in Wuhan, China in late 2019 and responsible for respiratory distress. Aim: study the impact of COVID-19 among patients with cirrhosis. Patients and methods: We conducted a prospective study for a period of 9 months (April 1st-December 1st) that included cirrhotic patients infected with SARS-Cov-2 followed in the gastroenterology department in the University Hospital Hassan II. Results: Among 1437 patients hospitalised for SARS-Cov-2, 8 cirrhotic patients were included in a period of 9 months (April 1st-December 1st). The mean age is 55 y/o and most are female (n = 6). The aetiology of cirrhosis is mostly HCV (n = 3), HBV (n = 2). Half of the infected patients had acute bleeding (one of them had hepatic encephalopathy) and one patient had respiratory distress. Most of the patients had a negative PCR at the end of the hospital stay (n = 5). The mortality rate was 25% and patients were followed up for a period of 4 months. Conclusion: In the studied population, clinical manifestations were essentially a decompensation of cirrhosis.