Abstract：
OBJECTIVE: To study the frequency of microbiological etiology of respiratory infections in patients with long COVID and their associated clinical and radiological findings.
METHODS: Nasopharyngeal swabs and sputum specimens were collected from 97 patients with respiratory illness stemming from long COVID. The specimens were assessed for their microbiological profile (bacteria and virus) and their association with the overall clinical and radiological picture.
RESULTS: In total, 23 (24%) patients with long COVID had viral infection (n = 12), bacterial infection (n = 9), or coinfection (n = 2). Microorganisms were detected at significantly higher rates in hospitalized patients, patients with moderate COVID-19, and patients with asthma (P < .05). Tachycardia (65%) was the most common symptom at presentation. A statistically significant number of patients with long COVID who had viral infection presented with cough and myalgia; and a statistically significant number of patients with long COVID who had bacterial infection presented with productive coughing (P < .05). Post-COVID fibrotic changes were found in 61% of cohort patients (31/51).
CONCLUSIONS: A decreasing trend of respiratory pathogens (enveloped viruses and bacteria) was found in long COVID. An analysis including a larger group of viral- or bacterial-infected patients with long COVID is needed to obtain high-level evidence on the presenting symptoms (cough, myalgia) and their association with the underlying comorbidities and severity.
METHODS: Nasopharyngeal swabs and sputum specimens were collected from 97 patients with respiratory illness stemming from long COVID. The specimens were assessed for their microbiological profile (bacteria and virus) and their association with the overall clinical and radiological picture.
RESULTS: In total, 23 (24%) patients with long COVID had viral infection (n = 12), bacterial infection (n = 9), or coinfection (n = 2). Microorganisms were detected at significantly higher rates in hospitalized patients, patients with moderate COVID-19, and patients with asthma (P < .05). Tachycardia (65%) was the most common symptom at presentation. A statistically significant number of patients with long COVID who had viral infection presented with cough and myalgia; and a statistically significant number of patients with long COVID who had bacterial infection presented with productive coughing (P < .05). Post-COVID fibrotic changes were found in 61% of cohort patients (31/51).
CONCLUSIONS: A decreasing trend of respiratory pathogens (enveloped viruses and bacteria) was found in long COVID. An analysis including a larger group of viral- or bacterial-infected patients with long COVID is needed to obtain high-level evidence on the presenting symptoms (cough, myalgia) and their association with the underlying comorbidities and severity.
摘要：
目的：研究长期COVID患者呼吸道感染的微生物学病因及其相关的临床和影像学表现。
方法：收集了97例由长COVID引起的呼吸道疾病患者的鼻咽拭子和痰标本。评估标本的微生物学特征（细菌和病毒）及其与整体临床和放射学图片的关联。
结果：总计，23例(24%)长期COVID患者有病毒感染(n=12)，细菌感染（n=9），或合并感染（n=2）。住院患者中微生物的检出率明显较高，中度COVID-19患者和哮喘患者（P<0.05）。心动过速（65％）是最常见的症状。有统计学意义的有病毒感染的长型COVID患者出现咳嗽和肌痛；有统计学意义的有细菌感染的长型COVID患者出现生产性咳嗽（P<0.05）。在61%的队列患者中发现了COVID后纤维化变化(31/51)。
结论：长COVID中呼吸道病原体（包膜病毒和细菌）呈下降趋势。需要进行包括更多的长期COVID病毒或细菌感染患者在内的分析，以获得关于呈现症状的高水平证据(咳嗽，肌痛）及其与潜在合并症和严重程度的关联。
方法：收集了97例由长COVID引起的呼吸道疾病患者的鼻咽拭子和痰标本。评估标本的微生物学特征（细菌和病毒）及其与整体临床和放射学图片的关联。
结果：总计，23例(24%)长期COVID患者有病毒感染(n=12)，细菌感染（n=9），或合并感染（n=2）。住院患者中微生物的检出率明显较高，中度COVID-19患者和哮喘患者（P<0.05）。心动过速（65％）是最常见的症状。有统计学意义的有病毒感染的长型COVID患者出现咳嗽和肌痛；有统计学意义的有细菌感染的长型COVID患者出现生产性咳嗽（P<0.05）。在61%的队列患者中发现了COVID后纤维化变化(31/51)。
结论：长COVID中呼吸道病原体（包膜病毒和细菌）呈下降趋势。需要进行包括更多的长期COVID病毒或细菌感染患者在内的分析，以获得关于呈现症状的高水平证据(咳嗽，肌痛）及其与潜在合并症和严重程度的关联。
