Dear Colleagues,

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to an unprecedented global crisis. SARS-CoV-2 primarily causes lung infection, where the virus binds to the cellular receptor ACE-2 on the surface of alveolar epithelial cells. Notably, ACE-2 cellular receptors are also expressed in intestinal (GI) epithelial cells. Recent data have suggested that GI microbial communities may act as local and systemic inflammatory modulators. Gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, are often observed in infected individuals, and recently published data indicate that SARS-CoV-2 can also be transmitted through fecal and oral routes. In addition, the gut microbiota ecosystem can be regulated and regulated by invading pathogens, including viruses, facilitating an effective immune response, which, in turn, leads to less disease. In this regard, it appears that increased mortality and morbidity from SARS-CoV-2 is often observed in elderly immunocompromised patients and people with underlying diseases such as diabetes, who do tend to have a less diverse gut microbiota (dysbiosis). Therefore, it is important to understand how the interaction between  gut microbiota and SARS-CoV-2 can change the intensity of infection and different clinical outcomes. In this Special Issue, we want to review the current knowledge on dysbiosis during SARS-CoV-2 infection and the methods that can be used to restore the correct microbiota composition.

Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Merra
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gastrointestinal Disorders is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• SARS-CoV-2
• COVID-19
• microbiome
• gastrointestinal symptom
• nutrition