SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Microbiota Alterations; Potential Beneficial Roles of Probiotics: A Review Article

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, along with recurrent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mutations and unavailability of specific treatment indicates the need for effective treatments. In this regard, supportive therapies can be highly beneficial and essential. Gastrointestinal microbiome balance has long been considered a vital factor in human health. The use of probiotics has been suggested to treat diseases in which the gut microbiome is imbalanced. Gastrointestinal symptoms are present in some patients with COVID-19, and experiments have shown microbial imbalance in these patients. The inhibition of neutrophil elastase (NE) and an increase in butyrate can help improve and recover COVID-19 by inhibiting virus entry and its proliferation, boosting the immune system, performing antimicrobial functions, and preventing hypercoagulability. Therefore, the possibility of using a combination of Bifidobacterium longum NCC2705, Odoribacter, and Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum 25-3T was proposed for this purpose. In this review article, we discussed the association between the gut microbiome and COVID-19 infection and evaluated the potential of modulating the balance of the gut microbiome in preventing adverse events during SARS-CoV-2 infection.