News Archive

The current global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has highlighted the interconnectedness of our planet in ways that were underappreciated by the average American until now. In the US, biomedical scientists, physicians, and public health officials are working to effectively respond to the thousands of infected people, while simultaneously monitoring the spread of COVID. In order to accurately assess the damage done by the virus and effectively protect the public, learning more about COVID-19 is critical. Recently published studies demonstrate that COVID-19 affects not only the lungs, but also targets cells along the mucosal layer of the large intestine. To date the CDC has found COVID-19 in the feces of nearly 27% COVID-19 cases.  The amount of virus released from the body (shed) in stool, how long the virus is shed, and whether the virus in stool is infectious are not known.  The risk of transmission of COVID-19 from the feces of an infected person is also unknown. However, the risk is expected to be low, based on data from previous outbreaks of related coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).