Bacterial and fungal infections among patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia

Abstract

We reviewed studies reporting bacterial and fungal co-infections in patients with COVID-19. The majority were retrospective studies with poor quality data biased with short follow-up and selection of patients. Septic shock was reported in 4% to 33.1% of patients. Seventy-one to 100% of patients received antibacterial treatments. Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis seems to be an increasingly observed complication in critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection as previously reported in patients hospitalized in ICU with severe influenza. High quality prospective studies are urgently needed to verify the incidence of bacterial and fungal infections and their role on the outcome of COVID-19.