Covid alters paediatric gut microbiome, study finds

Abstract Lactobacillus Bulgaricus. Credit: Getty/ koto_feja

By Olivia Bowthorpe

Children experiencing long Covid may have an altered gut microbiome, a study of bacterial diversity and composition has suggested.

"It may be possible to better identify post-acute Covid-19 syndrome (PACS) in the paediatric population through microbiome profiling, and utilise microbial therapeutics to ameliorate persistent symptoms," said researchers, led by Mickayla Bacorn, intramural research trainee at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, US.

They tested 186 stool samples from individuals aged 2 to 20 years, comparing those who had fully recovered from COVID-19 against those with lasting symptoms, and those who had not been infected.¹

Analysis showed a significant reduction in gut bacteria diversity in participants after infection, compared with those who had not been infected, differences in the overall bacterial composition.

There was a reduction in beneficial bacteria such as Lacticaseibacillus and Bifidobacterium, both known for anti-inflammatory effects and a role in gut barrier health.

Among the children with persistent gastrointestinal symptoms, the researchers saw an increase in Streptococcus species and raised faecal calprotectin, a marker for intestinal inflammation.