Microbiology Research, Vol. 14, Pages 1610-1616: Bacterial Co-Infection in Patients with Coronavirus: A Rapid Review to Support COVID-19 Antimicrobial Prescription

Microbiology Research, Vol. 14, Pages 1610-1616: Bacterial Co-Infection in Patients with Coronavirus: A Rapid Review to Support COVID-19 Antimicrobial Prescription

Microbiology Research doi: 10.3390/microbiolres14040111

Authors: María Fernanda Celaya Corella Jorge Omer Rodeles Nieblas Donato Antonio Rechy Iruretagoyena Gerson Ney Hernández Acevedo

The goal of this study was to determine the most common microorganisms present in COVID-19 patients with co-infections at the General Hospital of Mexicali. Bacterial co-infections have been reported in two previous global pandemics caused by viruses. In a retrospective observational study, we obtained information from 1979 patients. All had symptoms of respiratory disease, and we performed real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction tests on nasopharyngeal swab samples. Of the 1979 patients, 316 were negative; so, they were excluded. One thousand and sixty-three patients had positive results for COVID-19; one hundred and seventy-two (10.34%) had respiratory co-infections. These data were corroborated by positive growth results in culture media and identified using the MALDI-TOF MS System. Vitek 2® Compact, an automated identification system, determined the antimicrobial susceptibility testing results. We analyzed and determined the microorganisms in co-infected patients. Different microorganisms were found, including bacteria and fungi. The most prevalent of all the organisms was Acinetobacter baumannii, which was present in 64 patients (37.2%). We recommend improving the diagnostic and surveillance protocols for possible cases of co-infections in patients with COVID-19. Unlike co-infections in pandemic influenza, the spectrum of microorganisms that cause COVID-19 is too broad and varied to recommend empiric antibiotic therapy.