ABSTRACT
The recent coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has emerged and is responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It has become a major global challenge for public health. Since the first confirmed case in Wuhan, China, COVID-19 continued its spread causing to date about 2,510,781 deaths worldwide. Coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, are characterized by respiratory illnesses during infection, but gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, such as anorexia, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, have been identified in subsets of COVID-19 patients. There is currently no specific therapy or drug for GI manifestations related to COVID-19. Consequently, because of the apparent lack of treatment approaches, it will be crucial to manage SARS-CoV-2 infection by limiting human-to-human transmission and preventing secondary infections of the virus. This chapter focuses on the mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 infects the GI tract, drugs, and natural compounds from medicinal plants often used in Morocco to treat GI disease. Also, this chapter sheds light on the preventive and curative management of the GI symptoms caused by COVID-19.
