The global outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which subsequently led to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has claimed more than 6.5 million lives worldwide.
Although SARS-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus, hepatic malfunctions have been reported in almost 50% of infected patients. Manifestation of chronic liver disease (CLD) has been a common occurrence in severely infected COVID-19 patients who require hospitalization. A higher mortality rate has been associated with severely infected COVID-19 patients with cirrhosis. A recent Gastroenterology Clinics of North study summarizes the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients with CLD.
Prevalence of liver dysfunction in COVID-19: Elevated liver enzyme levels were observed in about 83% of COVID-19 patients who required hospitalization. Among all liver enzymes, an increased level of aspartate transaminase (AST) was most commonly observed in this group of patients.