How often does SARS-CoV-2 get infected with other viruses?

Diagnosis of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is usually made by either a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay or an immunochromatographic test. In many countries, citizens are provided with free or subsidized immunochromatography.

In addition, some governments require testing to travel abroad. However, this data only provides information about infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Researchers at the University of San Francisco have examined data from COVID-19 patients tested in hospitals and clinics looking for evidence of other illnesses. The presence of these diseases can make a big difference in some prognosis.Their work is published in the journal Diagnostic microbiology and infectious diseases..

study: Frequency of respiratory pathogens other than SARS-CoV-2 detected during COVID-19 testing. Image Credit: Magic Photo / Shutterstock.com

About research

Researchers obtained data from the shared COVID-19 database created by the Sao Paulo Research Foundation. This allows information to be shared among the five medical services in São Paulo. They grouped individuals according to gender and age range.

SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed using RT-PCR, but influenza A virus (-H1N1 and other subtypes), influenza B virus, human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV), human parainfluenza. Several other infections, such as influenza, were also screened at the same time. Virus type I (HPIV-1), II (HPIV-2), III (HPIV-3), IV (HPIV-4), rhinovirus / entererovirus (RV / EV), adenovirus (ADV), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), human coronavirus (HCoV) -229E, HCoV-HKU1, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-OC43.

Researchers also screened four bacterial species and attempted to detect yeast in the urine. Using Pearson’s chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test, researchers evaluated differences in rates of respiratory infections between different groups, and associations between variables were analyzed using odds ratios.

In total, the researchers collected data from 73,897 individuals, of whom approximately 17,000 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. In addition, 8.44% of people were screened for at least one other microorganism.

Individuals ranged from 25 to 61 years and were almost evenly divided between males and females.Influenza A virus 850 times, influenza B virus 728 times, influenza A-H1N1 virus 780 times, 778 times M. Pneumoniae, 775 for HSRV, 3,768 for HSRV C. Pneumonia Chlamydia, 767 for RV / EV, 766 for ADV, Bordetella pertussis, HCoV-229E, HCoV-HKU1, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-OC43, HPIV-1, -2, -3, -4 and hMPV, urine , And 935 Streptococcus pyogenes..

The most commonly detected virus group found in 594 people was RV / EV. Influenza B was found in 199, while influenza A-H1N1 and other influenza A subtypes were detected in 115 and 105, respectively.

For bacteria, the most commonly identified species are Streptococcus pyogenes, 121 people, 8 of whom were also positive for COVID-19. C. Pneumoniae was found in 20 people, all of whom were negative for COVID-19.

M. Pneumoniae It was found in 10 people, 2 of whom were COVID-19 positive. Bordetella pertussis Four were positive, one of whom was COVID-19. Only 17 people had yeast in their urine. However, this was associated with a COVID-19 positive test.

In general, most individuals tested negative for COVID-19 were positive for another microorganism, most of them between the ages of 25 and 60. But it was also by far the widest age group.

Along with COVID-19, a total of 150 other microorganism detections were involved. One of these was tested positive for a total of 16 microbes, but researchers cautioned about this finding, suggesting that it could be a database error.

These cases are so diverse that they cannot be explained individually. However, most people who tested positive for alternative respiratory viruses tested negative for SARS-CoV-2, and nine viruses were associated with a lower risk of contracting the disease. Scientists suggest that this may be due to immune activation or competition between viruses for cell receptors.

Over 1,300 COVID-19 cases were detected with another virus, with RV / EV being the most common. Researchers have shown that yeast in urine is associated with a COVID-19-positive test. This may be due to immune dysfunction caused by a disease that causes fungal infections more easily.

Conclusion

Researchers emphasize that their results are currently exploratory. However, this information can be very helpful for further investigation. It is invaluable for healthcare providers to know which other respiratory viral or bacterial infections are likely to be dangerous to COVID-19 patients, thus optimizing treatment for these patients. Useful for.