Evaluation of viral and bacterial respiratory coinfection in individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 in southern Brazil

Abstract

COVID-19, a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that can progress to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The virus spread rapidly, causing a pandemic. Due to the lack of adequate clinical management of the disease, several coinfections by bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens have been reported, among them tuberculosis and influenza viruses, infectious diseases, and public health emergencies. Its symptoms are similar to those of COVID-19, and it presents a major risk factor for infected individuals. Background: The objective of this research was to evaluate the presence of genetic material of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, influenza virus, and respiratory syncytial virus in COVID-19-positive samples. Methods: The analyses were carried out on 800 samples of COVID-19-positive patients already collected at the M&S Analyses Clinical Laboratory, all processed at the same place for DNA/RNA extraction, and submitted to PCR and real-time RT-PCR molecular methods. Conclusion: In this study, there were no samples detected with genetic material from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza virus, or M. tuberculosis.