Viral co-pathogens in COVID-19 acute respiratory syndrome - what did we learn from the first year of pandemic?

Objective: : This study aimed to describe the distribution of respiratory pathogens and the occurrence of co-pathogens during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We used a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) panel targeting 23 microorganisms to analyze the oro-pharyngeal samples of patients admitted to our hospital with acute respiratory infection (ARI) between March 1, 2020, and February 28, 2021. We matched 40 to 50 patients who were SARSCoV-2 positive and SARS-CoV-2 negative per month for age and sex. Results: A total of 939 patients with multiplex PCR test results were included in the study. Respiratory pathogens where detected in only 8/476 (1.6%) patients with COVID-19 versus 87/463 (18.7%) patients with non-COVID-19 ARI patients. Diversity and rates of pathogens vastly differed from previous years but showed seasonal variance. Conclusion: Patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection presenting with ARI during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated paucity of respiratory co-pathogens. (C) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases.

Automated summary

This study aimed to describe the distribution of respiratory pathogens and the occurrence of co-pathogens during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed a paucity of respiratory co-pathogens in patients with COVID-19 during this period.