%0 Journal Article %A David Noivo Gomes %A Ana Alfaiate %A Vera Clérigo %A Lígia Fernandes %A Margarida Castanho %A Susana Sousa %A Vera Durão %A Fernando Durão %A Paula Duarte %T Late Breaking Abstract - Co-infections, an unexplored branch in the COVID-19 pandemic %D 2020 %R 10.1183/13993003.congress-2020.3590 %J European Respiratory Journal %P 3590 %V 56 %N suppl 64 %X Background: Early studies suggested that co-infections were rare in the COVID-19 (CV19) pandemic which might have led to initial misdiagnosis. Despite their importance in the respiratory diseases’ severity, co-infections are understudied and their role in the course of the disease needs to be characterized.Aim: To study co-infections between novel coronavirus (nCoV) and other pathogens.Methods: The authors performed a retrospective analysis (using Mann-Whitney U and Fisher Exact test) of CV19 patients (pts) admitted to a Portuguese community hospital ward between 15/03 and 15/05/2020. Most of these pts were also tested for other pathogens.Results: 203 CV19 suspected pts were admitted, 11,33% (n=23) were confirmed. The mean age was 72.09 ± 16.8 years and most patients were male (56.5%). The mortality rate was 21.7% (n=5). Co-infection was present in 39% (n=9) pts. One third had other virus identified on the nasal swab (two Rhinovirus/Enterovirus and one Metapneumovirus), one third had a positive urine antigen for Pneumococcus, and one third had positive blood cultures for other bacteria. The age of co-infected pts was significantly higher than non-co-infected (p=0.046). Cardiovascular disease (heart failure and arrythmia) and obesity were associated with the presence of co-infection (p=0.009 and 0.019, respectively). Mortality rate tended to be higher in co-infected pts although this finding was not statistically significant (p=0.056).Discussion: In this study, co-infections between nCOV and other pathogens were influenced by age and the presence of comorbidities. Co-infections might have a noteworthy impact in the course of COVID-19 and future studies are needed to accurately assess its burden.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2020; 56: Suppl. 64, 3590.This abstract was presented at the 2020 ERS International Congress, in session “Respiratory viruses in the "pre COVID-19" era”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only). %U