Characteristics of Bacterial Microflora Isolated from Sputum of Patients with Pneumonia Registered in Khabarovsk City and Khabarovsk Territory in the Initial Period of COVID-19 Pandemic in May–June, 2020

Objective: to study the bacterial microflora in the sputum of patients with pneumonia caused by SARSCoV-2 or other pathogens.

Materials and methods. The bacterial microflora of sputum of 173 patients with pneumonia admitted to hospitals in Khabarovsk and the Khabarovsk Territory in May – June 2020 was examined. Detection of RNA of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was carried out by PCR with the Vector-PCRRV-2019-nCoV-RG test system (manufactured by the State Scientific Center of VB “Vector”, Koltsovo). Determination of the DNA of mycoplasmosis agents and chlamydia was carried out with the test system “AmpliSens® Mycoplasma pneumoniae/Chlamydophila pneumonia” (manufactured by CRIE). Statistical data processing was performed using the Excel program. 

Results and discussion. Both groups of patients (Covid-19+ and Covid-19–) had high levels of bacterial flora isolation (81.4 and 74.7 %) including common pathogens for community-acquired pneumonia as well as notable detection frequency of Candida spp. and microbial associations. The group of Covid-19+ patients demonstrated a wider range of detected pathogens, was positive for poly-resistant gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae, non-fermenting gram-negative poly-resistant bacteria, with more expressed manifestation of microbial associations. In the group of Covid-19– participants drug-resistant microflora was presented only by MRSA and MRSE  staphylococci.

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