Covid and diarrhea: what you need to know about hydration!

There has rarely been a more catastrophic disease that has affected so many around the globe than COVID19. What started as a respiratory virus in Asia soon became a pandemic within a few months and has killed more than 6 million people around the globe, causing tremendous financial and economic hardship for billions. 

Symptoms of COVID19 have been discussed in detail at many excellent sources such as CDC. While fevers, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste and smell are common, diarrhea is a lesser common symptom of this respiratory virus.

COVID19 typically affects the lungs and the throat, just as all coronaviruses do. Yet, many times, the only presenting symptom of many patients with COVID is diarrhea. And while diarrhea can be seen more as an annoyance, it can lead to significant dehydration, electrolyte abnormalities and delay your recovery.

Here are a few things that can help manage diarrhea from COVID. First, learn to know when to seek immediate medical attention. If you have any of the below, an evaluation by a medical professional is warranted:

  • Abdominal cramping
  • Blood in stools
  • Dark or black colored stools
  • Fever with diarrhea

Management of COVID19 related diarrhea

Mild diarrhea can be managed at home, once it is determined to be due to the viral infection. The treatment essentially consists of eating a lighter diet, rehydrating with fluids and getting rest and proper nutrition. At times, medications to slow down the bowels may be prescribed. Severe diarrhea almost always requires in-patient hydration.

Nutrition is vital when you are dealing with COVID related diarrhea. Fruits and vegetables with a high water content are one of the best foods to eat during such an episode. 

Here is a list of some good fruits to eat during diarrheal illness: Watermelons, grapes, apples and peaches. Vegetables include cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes and cauliflower are easy on the stomach and provide a good amount of minerals such as magnesium and potassium along with water for rehydration. Foods such as soup can provide electrolytes (sodium and potassium), some protein along with water for hydration and can be highly effective in replacing volume lost in diarrhea.

COVID related diarrhea

Hydration for COVID19 related diarrhea

This is where getting it right really matters. During acute diarrhea from COVID19 infection, one could lose a lot of body water. Replacing this deficit and staying ahead can influence how you feel and how quickly you recover. If diarrhea is severe or happening every few hours, the loss of water could be as large as two liters. Which means, you would need to drink 64 fluid ounces just to stay neutral in fluid balance. Due to ongoing fluid losses, the intake has to be much more, at least by about 24 more fl. oz. 

Hydration just purely with water is not recommended during this time. It can lead to hyponatremia (low blood sodium) and reduce levels of electrolytes in the body further. Since oral intake of food is generally low during such an illness, it can compound the problem.

An electrolyte drink such as HuMOLYTE™ is a good option in this setting of COVID infection. It is sugar-free and is rich in three electrolytes: sodium, magnesium and potassium. With diarrhea, loss of potassium and magnesium can be substantial, so replacement with an oral electrolyte solution is recommended. While other sports drinks may provide sodium and potassium, HuMOLYTE™ is rich in magnesium that can be lost with diarrhea. MAGNAK’s Endurance mix (has 8g/serving of sugar) and HuMOLYTE™, both deliver at least 80-100 mg of elemental magnesium per serving.

HuMOLYTE prebiotic drink

While sodium is easy to get through the diet, potassium and magnesium could be challenging. HuMOLYTE™ is useful as an ORS during COVID diarrhea because it is a relatively hypotonic prebiotic drink- which means it has a lower thickness than blood. So, during a dehydrated state, since fluid moves from a low to a higher tonicity, this solution can be absorbed faster into the bloodstream from the gut.

Another important ingredient in HuMOLYTE™ is the presence of a prebiotic, 2’-fucosyllactose (2’FL). Studies have shown that this complex (also called human milk) oligosaccharide (or HMO) has anti-viral properties and can prevent infection of gut cells by diarrhea-causing viruses (norovirus, rotavirus)  thereby preserving the gut epithelial lining. It has been shown to modulate our immune defenses and is routinely added in baby formulas to prevent a serious gut infection. 

Infectious diarrhea can not only deplete water and electrolytes but can also weaken the immune system further. Thus, a prebiotic drink such as HuMOLYTE™ can help during COVID diarrhea as the prebiotic HMO can possibly reduce gastrointestinal symptoms while replacing energy through electrolytes and water. Moreover, since most viral infections can destroy your gut microbiome, using a prebiotic that can enhance it, makes perfect sense. Further research is indicated to see if HuMOLYTE™ can reduce the severity of the COVID diarrhea, shorten the symptoms and improve patient outcomes.

Disclaimer: The above article is for general guidelines for home management of dehydration from diarrhea. We make every effort to provide citation and references from peer reviewed journal articles for readers to independently evaluate the science. We recommend that individuals make a decision about their personal health in consultation with their team of medical providers.