Causes and Consequences of COVID-19-Associated Bacterial Infections.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 literature highlights that bacterial infections are more common in fatal cases than recovered cases. If bacterial infections drive mortality in COVID-19, this has clear implications for patient management. However, it is possible that the enrichment of bacterial infections in COVID-19 fatalities is simply a by-product of late-stage pathology, leading to different advice for patient management. To address this question, we review current knowledge on bacterial infections in COVID-19, assess information from past viral respiratory pandemics, and simulate alternate causal models of interactions between virus, bacteria, and mortality in COVID-19. From these models, we conclude that currently available data are not sufficient to discriminate between these alternate causal pathways,

SUBMITTER: Farrell JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8329088 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature