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

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.

Epidemiological and Genetic Characteristics of Respiratory Viral Coinfections with Different Variants of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

“…Many studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic reported possible coinfections of SARS-CoV-2 with other respiratory pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses [ 12 , 34 , 35 ]. In our three-year follow-up study, a rate of 7.2% of coinfections was detected, which is consistent with other reports [ 4 , 36 , 37 ].…”

“…It was not until the later years of the pandemic that more aggregated data were published defining the role of such infections during the peaks and troughs in confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases [ 10 , 11 ]. Globally, the incidence of such mixed infections between seasonal respiratory viruses and SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic ranged from 3% to 8% [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. However, data on the prevalence and role of coinfections between SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses are limited [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”