loading page

Weak association of coinfection by SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses with severe cases and death
  • +11
  • Larissa Fernandes-Matano,
  • Irma Monroy Muñoz,
  • Bernardo Martínez-Miguel,
  • Luis Uribe-Noguez,
  • Maria de los Angeles Hernández-Cueto,
  • Brenda Sarquiz Martinez,
  • Hector Pardavé Alejandre ,
  • Andrea SantosCoy-Arechavaleta,
  • Julio Alvarado-Yaah,
  • Teresita Rojas-Mendoza,
  • Clara Santacruz-Tinoco,
  • Concepción Grajales-Muñiz,
  • Victor Borja-Aburto,
  • José Esteban Muñoz Medina
Larissa Fernandes-Matano
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social

Corresponding Author:larissamatano@gmail.com

Author Profile
Irma Monroy Muñoz
Instituto Nacional de Perinatologia
Author Profile
Bernardo Martínez-Miguel
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social
Author Profile
Luis Uribe-Noguez
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social
Author Profile
Maria de los Angeles Hernández-Cueto
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social
Author Profile
Brenda Sarquiz Martinez
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social
Author Profile
Hector Pardavé Alejandre
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social
Author Profile
Andrea SantosCoy-Arechavaleta
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social
Author Profile
Julio Alvarado-Yaah
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social
Author Profile
Teresita Rojas-Mendoza
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social
Author Profile
Clara Santacruz-Tinoco
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social
Author Profile
Concepción Grajales-Muñiz
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social
Author Profile
Victor Borja-Aburto
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social
Author Profile
José Esteban Muñoz Medina
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social
Author Profile

Abstract

Background SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus described for the first time in China in December 2019. This virus can cause a disease that ranges in spectrum from asymptomatic to severe respiratory disease with multiorgan failure, and the most severe cases are associated with some comorbidities and patient age. However, there are patients who do not have those risk factors who still develop serious disease. Methods In this study, we identified the presence of other respiratory viruses in positive cases of COVID-19 in Mexico to determine if any coinfections were correlated with more severe manifestations of COVID-19. We analysed 103 confirmed cases of COVID-19 using RT-qPCR for the detection of 16 other respiratory viruses. Results Of the cases analysed, 14 (13.6%) were cases of coinfection, and 92% of them never required hospitalization, even when comorbidities and advanced age were involved. There weren’t significant differences between the presence of comorbidities and the mean ages of the groups Conclusions These results suggest that coinfection is not related to more severe COVID-19 and that, depending on the virus involved, it could even lead to a better prognosis. We believe that our findings may lay the groundwork for new studies aimed at determining the biological mechanism by which this phenomenon occurs and for proposing corresponding strategies to limit the progression to severe cases of COVID-19.