The direct correlation between microbiota and SARS-CoV-2 infectious disease

The human microbiota is the good part of the human organism and is a collection of symbiotic microorganisms which aid in human physiological functions. Diseases that can be generated by an altered microbiota are continuously being studied, but it is quite evident how a damaged microbiota is involved in chronic inflammatory diseases, psychiatric diseases, and some bacterial or viral infections. However, the role of the microbiota in the host immune response to bacterial and viral infections is still not entirely understood. Metabolites or components which are produced by the microbiota are useful in mediating microbiota-host interactions, thus influencing the host's immune capacity. Recent evidence shows that the microbiota is evidently altered in patients with viral infections such as post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS). In this review, the associations between microbiota and COVID-19 infection are highlighted in terms of biological and clinical significance by emphasizing the mechanisms through which metabolites produced by the microbiota modulate immune responses to COVID-19 infection.

Automated summary

The human microbiota, consisting of symbiotic microorganisms, plays a crucial role in human physiological functions. While the impact of an altered microbiota on diseases like chronic inflammatory diseases and psychiatric diseases is well-studied, its role in the host immune response to bacterial and viral infections is still not fully understood. Recent evidence highlights the alterations in the microbiota of patients with viral infections such as post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS). This review emphasizes the biological and clinical significance of the associations between the microbiota and COVID-19 infection and how microbiota-produced metabolites modulate immune responses to COVID-19 infection.