caption: The connection between lung and gut mucosa in the pathogenesis of COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 virus infects preferentially cells from the respiratory system, but a large body of evidences points to the GIT as another important target for the virus entry and replication. The dysbiosis, together with the barrier damage and the resulting inflammation may facilitate the disease establishment. The translocated bacteria, leukocytes and the release of inflammatory mediators in the gut-lung axis may contribute to the COVID-19-associated organ deterioration. Some proposed adjunctive therapies such as prebiotics or probiotics, which are aimed at re-establishing the eubiosis state through modulation of microbiota could represent an alternative approach to ameliorate or avoid the worst outcomes of COVID-19.
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