There is a high risk of focusing exclusively on respiratory transmission of COVID-19. Evidence shows that, as with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), COVID-19 patients may present with diarrhoea. Confirmed COVID-19 positive patient’s fecal swab samples are testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, even when the patient shows no respiratory symptoms. The authors suggest that throughout the course of the disease, the virus may move from the respiratory tract to the gastrointestinal tract. Patients continue to shed the virus through faeces up to 73 days after symptom onset. Increased preventative measures on toileting and education on bathroom hygiene are therefore recommended. Disinfection in areas with high SARS-CoV-2 infection, for example hospital toileting facilities or bedpans, is also essential to avoid surface contamination and cross-infection.
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He, Yu; Wang, Zhengli; Li, Fang; Shi, Yuan. “Public health might be endangered by possible prolonged discharge of SARS-CoV-2 in stool” Journal of Infection, March 12, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinf.2020.02.031
