Long-Term Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Compared to Relatives with SARS-CoV-2 Infection without Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients without SARS-CoV-2: Results of a Retrospective Case-Control Study

Abstract: Introduction: Long-term sequelae following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection appear to be common in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Methods: We examined the frequency and characteristics of post-COVID-symptoms in patients with IBD (IBD-COVID), comparing them to two control cohorts: infected household members of the IBD-COVID patients without IBD (CONT-COVID) and IBD patients without SARS-COV-2 infection (IBD-no-COVID). A questionnaire for the retrospective documentation of possible post-COVID-19 symptoms was distributed to patients and controls from eight referral centers. Results: The 319 IBD-COVID, 108 CONT-COVID, and the 221 IBD-no-COVID patients were similar in terms of sex, age, and comorbidities. The occurrence and duration of fatigue in the IBD-COVID cohort correlated with IBD activity. Other complaints such as reduced cognitive performance (p < 0.05) and sleeping disorders (p < 0.05) were even more common in IBD-COVID patients. Persistent hematochezia (p < 0.001), abdominal pain (p < 0.005), diarrhea (p < 0.0001), and anal problems (p < 0.01) were more often in the IBD-COVID patients than in the CONT-COVID cohort. Furthermore, typical IBD-associated symptoms persist for a longer period after an infection. Frequency of post-COVID complaints is higher in IBD patients compared to controls. After infection, the number of outpatient consultations increased in IBD-COVID patients (7.8% vs. 10.9%, p = 0.008). Conclusion: Fatigue, cognitive impairment, and sleep disturbances are more prevalent among IBD-COVID than CONT-COVID patients. Furthermore, typical IBD-associated symptoms persist for a longer period after an infection. Frequency of post-COVID complaints is higher in IBD patients compared to controls. Tight control of IBD activity could be a suitable tool to avoid post-COVID problems. Introduction: Long-term sequelae following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection appear to be common in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Methods: We examined the frequency and characteristics of post-COVID-symptoms in patients with IBD (IBD-COVID), comparing them to two control cohorts: infected household members of the IBD-COVID patients without IBD (CONT-COVID) and IBD patients without SARS-COV-2 infection (IBD-no-COVID). A questionnaire for the retrospective documentation of possible post-COVID-19 symptoms was distributed to patients and controls from eight referral centers. Results: The 319 IBD-COVID, 108 CONT-COVID, and the 221 IBD-no-COVID patients were similar in terms of sex, age, and comorbidities. The occurrence and duration of fatigue in the IBD-COVID cohort correlated with IBD activity. Other complaints such as reduced cognitive performance (p < 0.05) and sleeping disorders (p < 0.05) were even more common in IBD-COVID patients. Persistent hematochezia (p < 0.001), abdominal pain (p < 0.005), diarrhea (p < 0.0001), and anal problems (p < 0.01) were more often in the IBD-COVID patients than in the CONT-COVID cohort. Furthermore, typical IBD-associated symptoms persist for a longer period after an infection. Frequency of post-COVID complaints is higher in IBD patients compared to controls. After infection, the number of outpatient consultations increased in IBD-COVID patients (7.8% vs. 10.9%, p = 0.008). Conclusion: Fatigue, cognitive impairment, and sleep disturbances are more prevalent among IBD-COVID than CONT-COVID patients. Furthermore, typical IBD-associated symptoms persist for a longer period after an infection. Frequency of post-COVID complaints is higher in IBD patients compared to controls. Tight control of IBD activity could be a suitable tool to avoid post-COVID problems. Introduction: Long-term sequelae following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection appear to be common in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Methods: We examined the frequency and characteristics of post-COVID-symptoms in patients with IBD (IBD-COVID), comparing them to two control cohorts: infected household members of the IBD-COVID patients without IBD (CONT-COVID) and IBD patients without SARS-COV-2 infection (IBD-no-COVID). A questionnaire for the retrospective documentation of possible post-COVID-19 symptoms was distributed to patients and controls from eight referral centers. Results: The 319 IBD-COVID, 108 CONT-COVID, and the 221 IBD-no-COVID patients were similar in terms of sex, age, and comorbidities. The occurrence and duration of fatigue in the IBD-COVID cohort correlated with IBD activity. Other complaints such as reduced cognitive performance (p < 0.05) and sleeping disorders (p < 0.05) were even more common in IBD-COVID patients. Persistent hematochezia (p < 0.001), abdominal pain (p < 0.005), diarrhea (p < 0.0001), and anal problems (p < 0.01) were more often in the IBD-COVID patients than in the CONT-COVID cohort. Furthermore, typical IBD-associated symptoms persist for a longer period after an infection. Frequency of post-COVID complaints is higher in IBD patients compared to controls. After infection, the number of outpatient consultations increased in IBD-COVID patients (7.8% vs. 10.9%, p = 0.008). Conclusion: Fatigue, cognitive impairment, and sleep disturbances are more prevalent among IBD-COVID than CONT-COVID patients. Furthermore, typical IBD-associated symptoms persist for a longer period after an infection. Frequency of post-COVID complaints is higher in IBD patients compared to controls. Tight control of IBD activity could be a suitable tool to avoid post-COVID problems.
Long-term medical problems after acute infection with the corona virus SARS-CoV-2 are often complained by patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. The illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 is called COVID-19. Previous studies had usually no control groups. It was therefore not clear, whether problems such as tiredness came from COVID-19 infection or bowel inflammation The objective of our study was to thoroughly examine both COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 symptoms in a cohort from eight clinics. We examined 319 patients with inflammatory bowel disease and COVID-19, 108 patients with inflammatory bowel disease but no COVID-19 and 221 patients with COVID-19 but no inflammatory bowel disease. These groups were similar in terms of sex, age and other characteristics. We found that fatigue, cognitive impairment and sleep disturbances were more prevalent among patients with inflammatory bowel disease and COVID-19. Furthermore, bowel symptoms persist for a longer period after COVOD-19. Frequency of any complaint after COVID-19 s is higher in patients with inflammatory bowel disease compared to controls. Deriving from these results we suggest that tight control of IBD activity could be a suitable tool to avoid long term problems after COVID-19.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Long-Term Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Compared to Relatives with SARS-CoV-2 Infection without Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients without SARS-CoV-2: Results of a Retrospective Case-Control Study ; volume:41 ; number:1 ; year:2025 ; pages:21-31 ; extent:11 ; Visceral medicine ; 41, Heft 1 (2025), 21-31 (gesamt 11)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Bierbaum, Benedikt ; von Arnim, Ulrike ; Schmelz, Renate ; Rosania, Rosa ; Walldorf, Jens ; Bierbaum, Michael ; Geißler, Sven ; Hänßchen, Markus ; Stallmach, Andreas ; Reuken, Philipp Alexander ; Teich, Niels

Further information

• DOI: 10.1159/000541602
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2502171805372.438501518965
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:30 AM CEST