Travel Med Infect Dis . Severe Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) Coinfection: A Unique Case Series

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Travel Med Infect Dis


. 2021 Mar 13;102026.
doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2021.102026. Online ahead of print.
Severe Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) Coinfection: A Unique Case Series


Alyaa Elhazmi ¹ , Jaffar A Al-Tawfiq ² , Hend Sallam ³ , Awad Al-Omari ⁴ , Saad Alhumaid ⁵ , Ahmad Mady ⁶ , Abbas Al Mutair ⁷



Affiliations

• PMID: 33727175
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2021.102026

Abstract

Introduction: The emergence of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coroanvirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had raised possibilities of coinfection with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in countries were these two viruses were reported. In this study, we describe the clinical presentation and demographics of eight patients who were coinfected with SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV.
Materials and methods: This is a case series of hospitalized patients admitted to Saudi intensive care units (ICUs). We collected demographics, underlying conditions, presenting symptoms and clinical outcome from the patients' medical records.
Results: During the study period from March 14, 2020 to October 19, 2020, there was a total of 67 SARS-CoV-2 ICU admitted patients who underwent simultaneous SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV testing. Of those patients, 8 (12%) tested positive for both SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV. There were 6 (75%) males, the mean age + SD was 44.4 + 11.8 years, and 7 (87.5%) were obese. Of the patients, 7 (87.5%) were non-smokers, 1 (12.5%) had diabetes mellitus, 1 (12.5%) had heart failure, and 1 (12.5%) had been on anti-platelet therapy. The mean hospital length of stay (LOS) was 21.1 + 11.6 days and the average ICU LOS was 10.9 + 6.03 days. All patients received supportive therapy and all were treated with corticosteroid. Of all the patients, 4 (50%) were discharged home and 3 (37.5%) died.
Conclusion: This case series is an important addition to the medical knowledge as it showed the interaction of the coinfection of SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV.

Keywords: COVID-19; MERS-CoV; SARS-CoV-2; coinfection.