Abstract
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 SARS-CoV-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.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; co-infections.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Co-infections, 【초록키워드】 SARS-COV-2 infection, COVID-19 pandemic, hospital, Multiplex PCR, polymerase chain reaction, ARI, PCR, pathogen, Patient, Respiratory pathogens, Acute respiratory infection, Pathogens, respiratory, multiplex, distribution, patients, microorganism, Diversity, Chain Reaction, Non-COVID-19, respiratory pathogen, positive, polymerase chain, Occurrence, demonstrated, presenting, age and sex, patients with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 acute respiratory syndrome,