No abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) first emerged in the fall of 2019 and has since become a global pandemic. This virus, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has led to over 4.8 million infections and 316,000 deaths worldwide to date. 1 Prior studies have demonstrated advanced age, chronic cardiopulmonary diseases, immunosuppression and obesity as potential risk factors for worse clinical outcomes among patients with COVID-19-with mortality often driven by disease-associated cardiopulmonary failure. 2,3 While the virus primarily affects the lungs, experience from China and the USA also suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may impact extra-pulmonary systems, including the gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary systems. 4,5 Chronic liver disease (CLD), including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcohol-related liver disease and chronic viral hepatitis, comprise a large global burden of disease. 6 Published reports indicate that up to half of adults hospitalized with COVID-19 have abnormal aminotransferase levels and 2%-11% have underlying liver conditions. 7-12 A meta-analysis of 11 observational studies of 2034 adults with COVID-19 from China revealed an overall CLD prevalence of 3%. 13 However, there are limited reports on the nature of liver disease among COVID-19 patients and it remains unclear how underlying CLD influences hepatic injury and clinical outcomes in these patients. Higher rates of liver dysfunction have been observed in patients with more severe cases of COVID-19 and among those requiring admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). 12,14 Given the high prevalence of NAFLD in the USA, as well as metabolic syndrome and

INTRODUCTION: Although coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been associated with gastrointestinal manifestations, its effect on the pancreas remains unclear. We aimed to assess the frequency and characteristics of hyperlipasemia in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of hospitalized patients across 6 US centers with COVID-19. RESULTS: Of 71 patients, 9 (12.1%) developed hyperlipasemia, with 2 (2.8%) greater than 3 times upper limit of normal. No patient developed acute pancreatitis. Hyperlipasemia was not associated with poor outcomes or symptoms. DISCUSSION: Although a mild elevation in serum lipase was observed in some patients with COVID-19, clinical acute pancreatitis was not seen.