The SARS-CoV-2-associated COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the global healthcare system. Although the best-known symptoms are dry cough and pneumonia, viral RNA has been detected in the stool and about half of COVID-19 patients exhibit gastrointestinal upset. In this scenario, special attention is being paid to the possible role of the gut microbiota (GM). Fecal samples from 69 COVID-19 patients from three different hospitals of Bologna (Italy) were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene-based sequencing. The GM profile was compared with the publicly available one of healthy age- and gender-matched Italians, as well as with that of other critically ill non-COVID-19 patients. The GM of COVID-19 patients appeared severely dysbiotic, with reduced diversity, loss of health-associated microorganisms and enrichment of potential pathogens, particularly Enterococcus . This genus was far overrepresented in patients developing bloodstream infections (BSI) and admitted to the intensive care unit, while almost absent in other critically ill non-COVID-19 patients. Interestingly, the percentage of patients with BSI due to Enterococcus spp. was significantly higher during the COVID-19 pandemic than in the previous 3 years. Monitoring the GM of critically ill COVID-19 patients could help clinical management, by predicting the onset of medical complications such as difficult-to-treat secondary infections.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, intensive care unit, gut microbiota, bloodstream infection, 【초록키워드】 intensive care, Pneumonia, COVID-19 pandemic, hospital, Sequencing, intensive care unit, Symptom, Italy, 16S rRNA, Stool, Viral, Critically ill, Patient, Gastrointestinal, Complication, Clinical management, age, Pathogens, gut microbiota, monitoring, Viral RNA, secondary infections, rRNA, microorganism, COVID-19 patient, Enterococcus, critically ill COVID-19 patients, Bloodstream infections, Non-COVID-19 patients, enrichment, dry cough, help, Italians, 16S rRNA gene, fecal samples, global healthcare, BSI, analyzed, healthy, reduced, significantly higher, 【제목키워드】 Ill,