Current Status of COVID-19-Associated Secondary Bacterial and Fungal Infection: A Mini Review

Abstract

More than 550 million individuals have been affected by the devastating COVID-19 epidemic, claim¬ing more than 6.3 million lives worldwide. Secondary bacterial or fungal infections are one of the signifi¬cant manifestations of COVID-19 pneumonia. This mini review aims to understand the current status of secondary bacterial or fungal infections in COVID-19 patients. The prevalence of secondary bacterial or fungal infections or co-infections is one of the significant factors influencing mortality among COVID-19 patients. Secondary infections are caused by various bacterial and fungal pathogens, including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp., Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Candida spp., Aspergillus spp., Cryptococcus spp. and Mucormycetes. Anti-microbial treatment is more challenging in COVID-19 pandemic because multidrug-resistant organisms cause most secondary microbial infections. The continuous monitoring of the prevalence and emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and rational use of antibiotics are warranted during pandemic times.