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Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate Legionella species in 50 patients with atypical pneumonia, using culture, urinary antigen test and molecular techniques. Methods: Non-selective BCYE-α media (Oxoid, England) and selective BMPA media (Oxoid, England) were used to isolate Legionella spp. from respiratory tract samples. The urinary samples of the patients were tested with the Alere BinaxNOW Legionella Urinary Antigen Card (Abbott, US) test to identify the presence of L. pneumophila serogroup 1 specific bacterial antigen. All respiratory tractsamples were tested with a commercial Duplicα RealTime Legionella pneumophila 23S rRNA specific region detection kit (Euroclone Diagnostica, Italy) and two home-made PCR methods. Home-made gel electrophoresis PCR tests were performed using Leg primers designed from 16S ribosomal RNA gene partial sequences for Legionella spp and primers targeting the Lmip (macrophage infectivity potentiator) gene for L. pneumophila. In the home-made real-time PCR test, primers targeting the lipopolysaccharide (lps) biosynthesis gene of L. pneumophila serogroup-1, the L. pneumophila mip gene, and the Legionella spp DNA region encoded by the 16S ribosomal RNA gene were used. Results: The commercial Real-time PCR assay identifed the sequence of L. pneumophila 23S rRNA gene specific region in seven respiratory tract samples. Five samples were detected as Legionella spp. in home-made gel electrophoresis-based PCR and home-made Real-time PCR assay. Hovewer, all samples tested negative in the urinary antigen card test for L. pneumophila serogroup 1. Conclusion: We conclude that the PCR positivities with three different molecular methods indicate that Legionella species other than L. pneumophila serogroup 1 should be investigated in the patients with atypical pneumonia using molecular methods. Also, our study demonstrates the significance of PCR methods in the investigation of Legionella species in clinical samples taken from patients with negative test results for L. pneumophila serogroup 1 specific urinary antigen test, but who are clinically considered to have Legionella pneumoniae.

Amaç: Aralık 2019’da Çin’in Wuhan şehrinde nedeni bilinmeyen viral pnömoni olgularının bildirilmesi üzerine yapılan araştırmalarda yeni bir Koronavirüs etkeni saptanmıştır. Kronik hastalıklar, COVID-19 salgını ile salgının etkilerini arttıran bir zemin hazırlamıştır. Bu araştırma COVID-19 pandemi öncesi ve COVID-19 pandemi döneminde hastaneye başvuran kişilerde, Kronik Obstrüktif Akciğer Hastalığı (KOAH) ve astım vakalarının sıklıkları arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark olup olmadığının saptanması amacıyla yapılmıştır.Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışmaya COVID-19 pandemi öncesi dönem ile COVID-19 pandemi döneminde hastanenin acil servis, poliklinikler ve servislerine başvuran KOAH ve astım hastaları alındı. Çalışmaya dahil edilen vakaların demografik verileri ile KOAH ve astım vakaları, pandemi öncesi dönem ile pandemi dönemine göre hem KOAH ve hem de astım toplam vakaları üzerinden hem de ayrı ayrı istatistiksel olarak analiz edildi. Pandemi öncesi ve pandemi döneminde hava kalite düzeyinin, KOAH ve astım vaka sıklıkları üzerine etkisi değerlendirildi.Bulgular: Elde edilen sonuçlara göre, COVID-19 pandemi dönemindeki hastaneye başvuran KOAH ve astım sayısı, COVID-19 pandemi öncesi dönemdeki hastaneye başvuran KOAH ve astım sayısından istatistiksel olarak anlamlı olarak daha düşük bulundu (p, Aim: In December 2019, a new coronavirus agent was detected in the research conducted on the reporting of viral pneumonia cases of unknown cause in Wuhan, China. Chronic diseases have prepared a ground that increases the effects of the epidemic with the COVID-19 epidemic. This study was carried out to determine whether there is a statistically significant difference between the frequencies of COPD and Asthma cases, who applied to the hospital before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the COVID-19 pandemic period.Material and methods: COPD and Asthma patients who applied to the emergency service, outpatient clinics and services of the hospital during the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period and the COVID-19 pandemic period were included in the study. Demographic data of the cases included in the study and COPD and asthma cases were statistically analyzed separately, both on the total cases of COPD and Asthma, according to the pre-pandemic period and the pandemic period.Results: According to the results, the number of COPD and asthma admitted to the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic period was found to be statistically significantly lower than the number of COPD and asthma admitted to the hospital in the pre-COPD-19 pandemic period. (p