Potential of probiotics in the Covid-19 pandemic scenario

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, which started in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, has attracted the attention of the
international scientific community due to its high spread in the world, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is transmitted through the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, and in view of the situation of not having identified an effective drug therapy of preventive or curative nature; each country has seen the need to implement alternative therapies that show some degree of effectiveness against the COVID-19 disease. Among the alternatives that have been reported, multiple studies demonstrate the potential of probiotics to prevent infection with this virus and combat the disease, reflecting that there are relationships between respiratory and
gastrointestinal tract microbiomes, and with the consumption of probiotics modulates the immune system by restoring gastrointestinal balance, which involves the response of the immune system to combat disease and future pandemics, since the digestive tract is a focal point of the body’s defenses, and thus prevent viral infection. Given these potentials, more government should fund probiotic trials as part of the overall strategy to flatten the spread curve of the VOC2019 Pandemic.