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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. While research on COVID-19 has mainly focused on its epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment, studies on the naso-oropharyngeal microbiota have emerged in the last few years as an overlooked area of research. Here, we analyzed the bacterial community composition of the naso-oropharynx in 50 suspected SARS-CoV-2 cases (43 detected, 7 not detected) from Veraguas province (Panama) distributed across five age categories. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences (p < 0.05) in bacterial alpha and beta diversities between the groups categorized by SARS-CoV-2 test results, age, or patient status. The genera Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, Prevotella, Streptococcus, and Tepidiphilus were the most abundant in both detected and not-detected SARS-CoV-2 group. The linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) for biomarker exploration indicated that Veillonella and Prevotella were enriched in detected and hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 relative to non-detected patients, while Thermoanaerobacterium and Haemophilus were enriched in non-detected patients with SARS-CoV-2. The results also indicated that the genus Corynebacterium was found to decrease in patients with detected SARS-CoV-2 relative to those with non-detected SARS-CoV-2. Understanding the naso-oropharyngeal microbiota provides insights into the diversity, composition, and resilience of the microbial community in patients with SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to estimate the size, sociodemographic characteristics, and rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in three key populations in Panama in 2018. Key populations included persons who self-identified as men who have sex (MSM), sex workers, and transgender women. Nationwide, trained peers conducted capture and recapture during the last quarter of 2018 at key population social gathering sites. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire and, optionally, could opt-in for a blood sample to be tested for four STIs (HIV, syphilis, and hepatitides B and C). Population estimates were calculated using the Sightability Model R package. Among the 1,886 consenting participants, 1,715 completed the study procedures (1,278 MSM, 250 sex workers, and 187 transgender women). The median age was 28 (interquartile range 23–36 years) and most participants were single, Latinx, completed at least high school, worked, and earned less than twice the minimum wage per month. The national estimates were 49,966 MSM (3.81% of adult men), 8,326 sex workers (0.63% of adult women), and 3,100 transgender women (118.4 per 100,000 population). Most (77.4%) participants consented for STI testing, which allowed estimation of positivity rates for HIV (10.0%), syphilis (2.0%), and hepatitides B (1.0%) and C (0.1%). Incorporating capture-recapture methods allowed more precise estimates of key population sizes and to characterize their sociodemographic and STI profiles, to be used in programmatic efforts for resource allocation and prevention programs. As an indirect result, we anticipate increased representation and visibility of key populations in population and public health programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]