Co-Infection of SARS-CoV-2 and : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The study aimed to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 and spp. coinfection across continents. Conducted following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review utilized PubMed, Embase, SCOPUS, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science databases, searching for literature in English published from December 2019 to December 2022, using specific Health Sciences descriptors. A total of 408 records were identified, but only 50 were eligible, and of these, only 33 were included. Thirty-three references were analyzed to evaluate the correlation between COVID-19 and spp. infections. The tabulated data represented a sample group of 8741 coinfected patients. The findings revealed notable disparities in co-infection rates across continents. In Asia, 23% of individuals were infected with , while in Europe, the proportion of co-infected patients stood at 15%. Strikingly, on the African continent, 43% were found to be infected with , highlighting significant regional variations. Overall, the proportion of co-infections among COVID-positive individuals were determined to be 19%. Particularly concerning was the observation that 1 in 6 ICU coinfections was attributed to , indicating its substantial impact on patient outcomes and healthcare burden. The study underscores the alarming prevalence of co-infection between COVID-19 and , potentially exacerbating the clinical severity of patients and posing challenges to treatment strategies. These findings emphasize the importance of vigilant surveillance and targeted interventions to mitigate the adverse effects of bacterial coinfections in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.