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Role of Intracellular Pulmonary Pathogens during SARS-CoV-2 Infection in the First Pandemic Wave of COVID-19: Clinical and Prognostic Significance in a Case Series of 1200 Patients

Authors :
Matteo Guarino
Benedetta Perna
Francesca Cuoghi
Michele Domenico Spampinato
Alice Eleonora Cesaro
Francesca Manza
Adriana Pretula
Anastasio Grilli
Martina Maritati
Giacomo Caio
Aldo Carnevale
Maria Elena Flacco
Roberto De Giorgio
Carlo Contini
Source :
Microorganisms, Vol 10, Iss 8, p 1636 (2022)
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2022.

Abstract

Background: Since 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic (COVID-19) has caused millions of deaths worldwide and is the second most serious pandemic after the Spanish flu. Despite SARS-CoV-2 infection having a dominant effect on morbidity and life-threatening outcomes, the role of bacterial co-infection in patients with COVID-19 is poorly understood. The present study aimed to verify the existence of bacterial co-infections and their possible role as cofactors worsening COVID-19-related clinical manifestations. Methods: All patients with suspected SARS-CoV-infection, hospitalised in COVID-19 wards at the Sant’Anna University Hospital of Ferrara, were retrospectively included in this single-centre study and their specific bacterial serologies were assessed. Univariate and logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: A total of 1204 individual records were retrieved. Among them, 959 were excluded because of a negative nasopharyngeal swab or missing data; of the eligible 245 patients, 51 were co-infected. Compared to patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection alone, those with Chlamydia pneumoniae or Mycoplasma pneumoniae co-infections had worse respiratory/radiological features and more intensive care unit admissions. However, the co-infection did not result in a higher mortality rate. Conclusions: The present study, comparing clinical, laboratory and radiological findings between patients with COVID-19 vs. those with co-infections (C. pneumoniae or M. pneumoniae) showed that, on admission, these features were worse in co-infected patients, although the mortality rate did not differ between the two groups.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20762607
Volume :
10
Issue :
8
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Microorganisms
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.76f63387c0684a21a0d7d59f0c01486a
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10081636