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. 2023 Sep 5;11(9):2239.
doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11092239.

Co-Circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Respiratory Pathogens in Upper and Lower Respiratory Tracts during Influenza Season 2022-2023 in Lazio Region

Licia Bordi  1 , Antonella Vulcano  2 , Giuseppe Sberna  1 , Marino Nonis  3 , Paolo Giacomini  3 , Fabrizio Maggi  1 , Carla Fontana  2 , Eleonora Lalle  1
Affiliations

Co-Circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Respiratory Pathogens in Upper and Lower Respiratory Tracts during Influenza Season 2022-2023 in Lazio Region

Licia Bordi et al. Microorganisms. .

Abstract

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) occur when there is a lower airway tract infection. They are well-known for increasing the susceptibility of patients to bacterial/fungal co-infections and super-infections. In this study, we present the results of our investigation, which involved 381 consecutive patients admitted to our hospital during the Influenza season from October 2022 to April 2023. Among the 381 specimens, 75 were bronchoalveolar (BAL), and 306 were nasopharyngeal swabs (NPSs). Notably, 34.4% of the examined samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Of these, we observed that 7.96% of NPSs showed positivity only for other respiratory viruses, while a substantial percentage (77%) of BAL specimens exhibited positive results only for bacterial co-infections. The results of our study not only confirm the importance of co-infections in COVID-19 but also emphasize the significance of utilizing rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for the timely diagnosis of LRTIs. In fact, RDTs allow for the identification of multiple pathogens, providing clinicians with useful and timely information to establish effective therapy.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; co-infection; respiratory pathogens; respiratory tract infections; syndromic panel.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percentage of detected pathogens in NPS and BAL samples of SARS-CoV-2-negative or -positive patients. Percentage of detected pathogens in 193 NPS (A) and in 57 BAL samples (B) of SARS-CoV-2-negative patients; percentage of detected pathogens in 113 NPS (C) and in 18 BAL samples (D) of SARS-CoV-2-positive patients.
Figure 2
Figure 2
NPS and BAL workflows. NPS workflow using the QIAstat-Dx Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 panel (A). Workflow on a BAL sample using the FilmArray Pneumonia Panel plus (B).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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