COVID-19 and the liver: little cause for concern
Mansoor N Bangash
Jaimin Patel
Dhruv Parekh
Published:March 20, 2020DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(20)30084-4
The largest study on COVID-19 to date1 showed that the prevalence of elevated aminotransferases and bilirubin in people faring worst was at least double that of others. Although clinically significant liver dysfunction was not quantified, this and other studies have led some to suggest that this finding might present clinical challenges.2 Close inspection of the available data supports a higher prevalence of abnormal aminotransferase levels in severe COVID-19 disease, but these studies actually suggest that clinically significant liver injury is uncommon, even when data for the most severely ill patients are selected (table).
