Nasopharyngeal Microbiota in SARS-CoV-2 Positive and Negative Patients

A new study reports on Nasopharyngeal Microbiota in SARS-CoV-2 Positive and Negative Patients, published by  Robin M Voigt and al. 

The Scope is: Since the appearance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in 2019, cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have spread rapidly around the world infecting over 152 million people and claiming over 3.2 million lives, as of May 3, 2021. COVID-19 is primarily transmitted through the respiratory tract via aerosolized droplets containing viral particles. Host-associated microorganisms can influence viral infectivity and are the major players mediating immune-inflammation. Conversely, studies have shown that viruses can modulate microbiota community in the oropharyngeal and respiratory tract.

The Conclusion is: The proof-of concept study demonstrates the feasibility of using VTM from nasopharyngeal swab collections to study nasopharyngeal microbiota in COVID-19. As hospitals have collected and stored COVID-19 testing swabs and VTM over the entirety of the pandemic, this opens a huge potential dataset for interrogating the nasal microbiome. Secondly, this proof-of-concept study provides preliminary data suggesting the presence of a dysbiotic and pro-inflammatory nasopharyngeal microbiota in COVID-19-positive patients. Our study provides a strong scientific rationale for future studies to investigate the relationship between nasal microbiome and SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity, and also the relationship to the long-lasting effects of COVID-19.

DOI: 10.1186/s12575-021-00148-6

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