COVID-19 and Nutrition

Disease Etiology
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (1). COVID-19 most often causes respiratory symptoms that can spread rapidly from person to person.

Screening/Diagnosis
Check with your local public health department for local testing services available.

Symptoms
Reported symptoms from individuals with COVID-19 have included mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough and difficulty breathing (1). Older adults and individuals who have existing medical conditions such as heart, lung disease or diabetes appear to be at a higher risk of developing more serious complications from COVID-19.

 

Post-COVID-19 condition (sometimes referred to as long COVID) can affect anyone exposed to SARS-CoV-2 (2). It is defined as the continuing or the development of symptoms three months after the initial infection that lasts for at least two months. Over 200 different symptoms have been reported; common symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath and cognitive dysfunction. 

 
Country-specific Symptom Information

 

 

 

Complementary and Alternative Medicines
There is no scientific evidence supporting the use of alternative remedies to prevent or cure the illness caused by COVID-19. Some complementary and alternative therapies may not be safe (3).

Nutrition Care
For specific health conditions:
COVID-19: Health, Chronic Conditions and Malnutrition Web Links

International Nutrition and COVID-19 Guideline Collection.

 

See Additional Content:

What dietary recommendations (including sodium and fluid) are effective for the treatment of adults with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), including POTS as a complication post-COVID-19 syndrome (long COVID)? 

Regulatory Implications - Virtual Dietetic Practice
See Additional Content: Telehealth/Teledietetics Background.

 

 

 

 

Food Service Implications
To contain the pandemic, cities and regions within the world stopped many service activities. Health, economic and social disruptions due to the pandemic, including impacts on food systems, have affected poor and marginalized groups the most and are expected to continue for many years (4).

No reported cases of COVID-19 have been linked to the contamination of food or food packaging (5).

For additional information, see: COVID-19: Food Service Establishments, Long-Term Care Centres and Food Service Workers Links.

Resources for Professionals

Clinical practice guidelines, web links, and other professional tools and resources can be found under the COVID-19 and Nutrition Related Tools and Resources tab. Use the orange Audience, Country and Language sort buttons to narrow your search.

 
References