Background Scientific evidence for the involvement of human microbiota in the development of COVID-19 disease has been reported recently. SARS-CoV-2 RNA presence in human faecal samples and SARS-CoV-2 activity in faeces from COVID-19 patients have been observed. Methods Starting from these observations, an experimental design was developed to cultivate in vitro faecal microbiota from infected individuals, to monitor the presence of SARS-CoV-2, and to collect data on the relationship between faecal bacteria and the virus. Results Our results indicate that SARS-CoV-2 replicates in vitro in bacterial growth medium, that the viral replication follows bacterial growth and it is influenced by the administration of specific antibiotics. SARS-CoV-2-related peptides have been detected in 30-day bacterial cultures and characterised. Discussion Our observations are compatible with a ‘bacteriophage-like’ behaviour of SARS-CoV-2, which, to our knowledge has not been observed or described before. These results are unexpected and hint towards a novel hypothesis on the biology of SARS-CoV-2 and on the COVID-19 epidemiology. The discovery of possible new modes of action of SARS-CoV-2 has far-reaching implications for the prevention and the treatment of the disease.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, gut microbiota, 【초록키워드】 Treatment, Epidemiology, knowledge, peptide, Antibiotics, in vitro, virus, COVID-19 disease, microbiota, Viral, viral replication, Biology, peptides, Bacteria, SARS-CoV-2 RNA, Bacterial, Hypothesis, administration, COVID-19 patient, Faeces, observation, growth, infected individuals, scientific evidence, MONITOR, starting, experimental design, bacterial cultures, implication, Result, described, reported, the disease, replicate, faece, bacterial culture, biology of SARS-CoV-2, growth medium, 【제목키워드】 Epidemiology, SARS-CoV-2 RNA, SARS-CoV-2 biology, increase,