COURSE OF CORONAVIRUS INFECTION IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC VIRAL HEPATITIS C

A study was conducted on 62 patients with COVID-19, aged 23 to 42 years. The diagnostic criteria for identifying COVID-19 and its impact on liver function in chronic viral hepatitis C were studied. Among the patients, 61.3% were male, and 38.7% were female. Virus shedding typically lasted up to 12 days in the lungs, and in moderate to severe cases, it extended beyond 14 days. Pneumonia was the leading clinical form of COVID-19 in 15 patients. The diagnosis of pneumonia in COVID-19 was based on epidemiological history, clinical examination, and laboratory and instrumental methods. In patients with COVID-19 and chronic viral hepatitis C, the manifestation of the intoxication syndrome was more pronounced than in patients without underlying liver pathology. The course of COVID-19 in chronic hepatitis was characterized by a cholestatic component and pronounced hepatocellular changes in the liver, with elevated liver function test results.