Open AccessCo-infection of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Respiratory Infections Caused by SARS-CoV-2
Author(s) -
Maria Laura Ferrando,
Ferdinando Coghe,
Alessandra Scano,
Mauro Giovanni Carta,
Germano Orrù
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
biointerface research in applied chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.216
H-Index - 11
ISSN - 2069-5837
DOI - 10.33263/briac114.1217012177
Subject(s) - streptococcus pneumoniae , pneumonia , medicine , pandemic , vaccination , pathogen , intensive care unit , pneumococcal infections , bacterial pneumonia , immunology , antibiotics , intensive care medicine , disease , covid-19 , infectious disease (medical specialty) , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Viral respiratory infections are often associated with bacterial co-infections that often lead to increased severity and mortality of the disease. During the recent pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), hospitalized patients reported developing secondary bacterial infections ranging from 0 to 40% of the cases. In the previous influenza pandemics, Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most isolated bacterial pathogen causing increased mortality in patients affected by viral pneumonia. Due to the difficulty to detect pneumococcal infection in SARS-CoV-2 patients by a rapid clinical test, the real prevalence of S. pneumoniae might be underestimated, and only a few cases have been documented so far. It has been estimated that 90% of patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit are empirically treated with antimicrobial. The application of more rapid and sensitive diagnostic methods could help with targeted antibiotic therapy. Additionally, pneumococcal vaccination of high-risk individuals could reduce bacterial pneumonia, hospital admissions, and comorbidities associated with serious illness.