Evaluation of Bacterial Co-infections of the Respiratory Tract in COVID-19 Patients

Abstract

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The co-evolution of viral and bacterial respiratory pathogens has created an environment in which a viral infection allows concurrent or secondary bacterial co-infections.

Aims: This study was carried out to isolate the different respiratory bacterial pathogens from COVID patients and evaluate their antibiotic sensitivity pattern.

Methods: Hospital based descriptive cross sectional study was conducted over a period of between 2^nd Jestha to 5^th Shrawan 2078 (16^th May to 20^th July 2021) in Nepalgunj Medical college, Kohalpur during the second wave of COVID-19 in Nepal. The sputum was inoculated onto different culture plates such as Blood Agar (BA) and MacConkey Agar (MA) and incubated at 37 ^oC. After overnight growth and in Gram staining, different Gram’s positive and negative bacteria were observed. Antibiotic sensitivity test was performed by Kirby-Bauer Disk Diffusion method.

Results: Out of 100 sputum samples, 44% positive bacterial growths, majority isolates were Klebsiella spp and Staphylococcus aureus. Overall, the pathogens were mostly sensitive to meropenem followed by colistin, piperacilin/tazobactam respectively.

Conclusion: Bacterial co-infection is common in hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2.