COVID-19-associated opportunistic infections: a snapshot on the current reports

AbstractTreatment of the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a complicated challenge, especially among patients with severe disease. In recent studies, immunosuppressive therapy has shown promising results for control of the cytokine storm syndrome (CSS) in severe cases of COVID-19. However, it is well documented that immunosuppressive agents (e.g., corticosteroids and cytokine blockers) increase the risk of opportunistic infections. On the other hand, several opportunistic infections were reported in COVID-19 patients, includingAspergillus spp.,Candida spp.,Cryptococcus neoformans,Pneumocystis jiroveci (carinii), mucormycosis,Cytomegalovirus (CMV),Herpes simplex virus (HSV),Strongyloides stercoralis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, andToxoplasma gondii. This review is a snapshot about the main opportunistic infections that reported among COVID-19 patients. As such, we summarized information about the main immunosuppressive agents that were used in recent clinical trials for COVID-19 patients and the risk of opportunistic infections following these treatments. We also discussed about the main challenges regarding diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19-associated opportunistic infections (CAOIs).
Source: Clinical and Experimental Medicine - Category: Research Source Type: research