Journal Article

The Gut Microbiota of Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19

Coladonato, Simona, Lombardo, Donatella, Giannella, Maddalena, Viale, Pierluigi, Turroni, Silvia, Bartoletti, Michele, D’Amico, Federica, Fornaro, Giacomo, Siniscalchi, Antonio, Rampelli, Simone, Gaibani, Paolo, Brigidi, Patrizia, Re, Maria Carla

2021

Overview

The SARS-CoV-2-associated COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the global healthcare system. Although the best-known symptoms are dry cough and pneumonia, viral RNA has been detected in the stool and about half of COVID-19 patients exhibit gastrointestinal upset. In this scenario, special attention is being paid to the possible role of the gut microbiota (GM). Fecal samples from 69 COVID-19 patients from three different hospitals of Bologna (Italy) were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene-based sequencing. The GM profile was compared with the publicly available one of healthy age- and gender-matched Italians, as well as with that of other critically ill non-COVID-19 patients. The GM of COVID-19 patients appeared severely dysbiotic, with reduced diversity, loss of health-associated microorganisms and enrichment of potential pathogens, particularly Enterococcus . This genus was far overrepresented in patients developing bloodstream infections (BSI) and admitted to the intensive care unit, while almost absent in other critically ill non-COVID-19 patients. Interestingly, the percentage of patients with BSI due to Enterococcus spp. was significantly higher during the COVID-19 pandemic than in the previous 3 years. Monitoring the GM of critically ill COVID-19 patients could help clinical management, by predicting the onset of medical complications such as difficult-to-treat secondary infections.

• Publisher: Frontiers Media SA,Frontiers Media S.A
• Subject: Bacterial infections / bloodstream infection / Cellular and Infection Microbiology / Cough / COVID-19 / Digestive system / Enterococcus / Feces / Gastrointestinal tract / Gut microbiota / Hospitalization / intensive care unit / Intestinal microflora / Medical laboratories / Microbiota / Pandemics / Pathogens / Patients / rRNA 16S / SARS-CoV-2 / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Veganism / Viral infections