The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), first reported in China in mid-December 2019, now affects the whole world. As of March 23, 2020, more than 332,930 laboratory confirmed cases globally and more than 14,510 deaths in over 100 countries had been reported1. Global research work on COVID-19 ranges from finding out where the virus came from, the modes of transmission, quick diagnosis and the treatment.
COVID-19 is mainly manifested as pneumonia and can also cause digestive symptoms and damage to digestive organs. The main clinical issues related to the digestive system include whether there is a fecal-oral transmission route, management of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms related to COVID-19, and adverse reactions of the therapeutic drugs, nutrition support in COVID-19 treatment and the infection control of digestive endoscopy during COVID-19 epidemic.