Investigation of microbial coinfection in 453 septic COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital; a retrospective study.

Abstract

We evaluated the rate of COVID-19 microbial coinfection in an Iranian population. In this single-center, retrospective observational study, we evaluated 453 septic COVID-19 patients for possible coinfection in an Iranian hospital. Overall, 211 (46.57%) cases died due to COVID-19 complications. Positive respiratory secretion and blood cultures were reported in 99 (21.9%) and 19 (4.2%) cases. Klebsiella species were the most commonly isolated microorganisms in respiratory (n=50, 50.5%) and blood (n=10, 52.6%) specimens. After adjustment for underlying disorders, positive respiratory microbial cultures significantly increase the odds of developing death, intubation, and ICU admission and negatively impact healthy discharge (P<0.05). Coinfections with bacteria and fungi independently contribute to poor outcomes in septic COVID-19 patients.