MICROBIOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF PATIENTSWITH CONFIRMED INFECTION COVID-19

Abstract

Background. The aim of this study was to identify etiological microorganisms and antibiotic resistance rates of bacterial
infection in patients with COVID-19 infection.
Materials and methods. A prospective microbiological study of the microbial landscape and antibiotic resistance of
strains isolated from patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection, hospitalized in National Scientific Medical Research
Center, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. Identification of isolates and antibiotic susceptibility testing were performed by Vitek-2
automated system.
Results: During study period, 282 strains were isolated; of them, the most frequently isolated microorganisms were as
follows: Streptococcus viridans group 51.6%, Candida sp. 24.8%, Acinetobacter baumannii 6.4% and Klebsiella pneumoniae
3.5% with high level of antibiotic resistance.
Conclusion. Based on our results, we report fungal and gram-negative bacterial infection with high level of antibiotic
resistance in patients with COVID-19 infection. All this prompts the conduct of microbiological monitoring in order to make
changes in the strategy of administration and treatment of these patients in accordance with the principles of the rational use
of antimicrobial drugs.