Parasitic Infestations May Lessen the Severity of COVID-19

Scientists are learning more about COVID-19 each day. For instance, we now know that adults with specific underlying medical conditions such as obesity are at a higher risk for severe illness from SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-CoV-2 stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which is the virus that causes the disease COVID-19. The disease has a broad range of severity and symptoms. Some underlying conditions that increase the risk of severe COVID-19 include obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic lung disease.

Infectious diseases are very prevalent in low- to medium-income countries (LMICs). Approximately 2 billion people have some form of parasitic infection around the world. The effect of coinfection with parasites on symptoms of COVID-19 is unknown. However, some new research is providing insights into these issues.

In fact, research is being reported from Ethiopia, which investigates how a parasitic infestation impacts the prognosis of COVID-19. While the paper is still awaiting peer review, it indicates that intestinal parasitosis is protective against severe COVID-19.

The researchers conducted the study on more than 500 patients who had SARS-CoV-2. Around 63% were male. The study used the World Health Organization criteria to categorize the severity of the COVID-19 disease: asymptomatic, mild/moderate, severe, and critical.