What is the relevance of the fecal–oral route in
SARS-CoV-2 transmission?
SARS-CoV-2 infects gastrointestinal ACE2-expressing epithelial cells
causing diarrhea in adults and children. It is frequently found in stool
samples by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
(Figure 2 ). Importantly, replicating SARS-CoV-2 has been
isolated from stool. The median duration of the virus in stool samples
(22 days, interquartile range 17-31 days) was significantly longer than
in respiratory samples (18 days, 13-29 days.27 Thus,
fecal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is possible and might contribute to the
spreading of COVID-19. 29,30