Joint Guidance from SGEI, ISG and INASL for Gastroenterologists and Gastrointestinal Endoscopists on the Prevention, Care, and Management of Patients With COVID-19

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which started in December 2019 in China, has resulted in a pandemic leading to significant morbidity and mortality across the globe. Although it mainly causes respiratory symptoms, respiratory failure and death due to multiorgan failure, there is evolving evidence to suggest gastrointestinal (GI) and liver involvement by this virus. Owing to this, health-care professionals taking care of GI and liver diseases are also at an increased risk of getting exposed. Hence, there is a need for protocols to be prepared to guide the handling of COVID-19 patients by the GI and liver specialists, as well as to manage the pre-existing GI and liver diseases during the ongoing pandemic. We present here the guidelines prepared jointly by the three Indian professional bodies in the field of GI diseases, namely the Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy of India, Indian Society of Gastroenterology, and Indian National Association for the Study of the Liver.