Lung microbiome predicts COVID-19 disease severity
A new preprint research paper posted to the
medRxiv server found changes to the lung microbiome during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection influence COVID-19 disease severity. Led by Ronald G. Collman from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, they suggest a wide diversity in the microbiome is associated with less severe illness and the need for hospitalization.
Differences in the microbiome were observed in intubated patients who showed a higher prevalence for
Staphylococcus. Greater amounts of
The researchers write:
“We report profound dysbiosis of the respiratory tract bacterial and viral microbiome in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, which differs from that of non-COVID patients, exhibits accelerated destabilization over time, and associates with disease severity and systemic immune profiles.
A new study explores the role of common probiotics in managing the disease, which could prove to be of great value, given the emergence of new variants and the broad spectrum of clinical disease in COVID-19.
Probiotics as adjuvant therapy for COVID-19 patients
Back in 1892, Doderlein first established the beneficial association of microorganisms in the human body. Therefore, under the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be beneficial to assess microorganisms role in the human body and the use of probiotics as therapy for COVID-19 patients.
While the term microbiome (coined by the Nobel laureate Joshua Lederberg, 2001) includes the entire genetic inheritance of all living microorganisms in the human body (gastrointestinal system, skin, respiratory system, urogenital system, etc.), the term microbiota refers to the specific and unique composition (genera/species) of this microbial population, differs from one person to another, and influences human health.