TY - JOUR
T1 - Common Bacterial Infections during the 3-Month Period after SARS-CoV-2 Infection
T2 - A Retrospective Cohort Study
AU - Cohen, Bar
AU - Shapiro Ben David, Shirley
AU - Rahamim-Cohen, Daniella
AU - Nakhleh, Afif
AU - Shahar, Arnon
AU - Yehoshua, Ilan
AU - Bilitzky-Kopit, Avital
AU - Azuri, Joseph
AU - Mizrahi Reuveni, Miri
AU - Adler, Limor
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/12/12
Y1 - 2023/12/12
N2 - Introduction: Correlations between SARS-CoV-2 and bacterial infections have mainly been studied in hospitals, and these studies have shown that such interactions may be lethal for many. In the context of community flora, less is known of the trends and consequences of viral infections relative to subsequent bacterial infections. Purpose: This study aims to explore the prevalence and characteristics of bacterial infections in the three months following SARS-CoV-2 infections, in a community, real-world setting. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we compared patients who completed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or an antigen test for SARS-CoV-2 during January 2022, the peak of the Omicron wave, and examined bacterial infections following the test. We searched these cases for diagnoses of the following four bacterial infections for three months following the test: Group A Streptococcus (GAS) pharyngitis, pneumonia, cellulitis, and urinary tract infections (UTI). Results: During January 2022, 267,931 patients tested positive and 261,909 tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. Test-positive compared to test-negative patients were significantly younger (42.5 years old vs. 48.5 years old, p < 0.001), smoked less, and had fewer comorbidities (including ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic renal failure). In the multivariable analysis, test-positive patients had an increased risk for GAS pharyngitis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.25, 95% CI 1.14–1.38, p-value < 0.001) and pneumonia (aOR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.15–1.35, p-value < 0.001), a trend towards an increased prevalence of UTI (aOR = 1.05, 95% CI 0.99–1.12, p-value = 0.092), and lower risk for cellulitis (aOR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.86–0.99, p-value < 0.05). Conclusions: A history of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the past three months increased susceptibility to respiratory tract bacterial infections and the prevalence of UTI.
AB - Introduction: Correlations between SARS-CoV-2 and bacterial infections have mainly been studied in hospitals, and these studies have shown that such interactions may be lethal for many. In the context of community flora, less is known of the trends and consequences of viral infections relative to subsequent bacterial infections. Purpose: This study aims to explore the prevalence and characteristics of bacterial infections in the three months following SARS-CoV-2 infections, in a community, real-world setting. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we compared patients who completed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or an antigen test for SARS-CoV-2 during January 2022, the peak of the Omicron wave, and examined bacterial infections following the test. We searched these cases for diagnoses of the following four bacterial infections for three months following the test: Group A Streptococcus (GAS) pharyngitis, pneumonia, cellulitis, and urinary tract infections (UTI). Results: During January 2022, 267,931 patients tested positive and 261,909 tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. Test-positive compared to test-negative patients were significantly younger (42.5 years old vs. 48.5 years old, p < 0.001), smoked less, and had fewer comorbidities (including ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic renal failure). In the multivariable analysis, test-positive patients had an increased risk for GAS pharyngitis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.25, 95% CI 1.14–1.38, p-value < 0.001) and pneumonia (aOR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.15–1.35, p-value < 0.001), a trend towards an increased prevalence of UTI (aOR = 1.05, 95% CI 0.99–1.12, p-value = 0.092), and lower risk for cellulitis (aOR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.86–0.99, p-value < 0.05). Conclusions: A history of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the past three months increased susceptibility to respiratory tract bacterial infections and the prevalence of UTI.
KW - COVID-19
KW - SARS-CoV-2
KW - bacterial infections
KW - group A streptococcus pharyngitis
KW - pneumonia
KW - urinary tract infections
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85180454730&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/healthcare11243151
DO - 10.3390/healthcare11243151
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C2 - 38132041
AN - SCOPUS:85180454730
SN - 2227-9032
VL - 11
JO - Healthcare (Switzerland)
JF - Healthcare (Switzerland)
IS - 24
M1 - 3151
ER -
