Can bacteriophages prevent bacterial pneumonia in COVID-19?
Most patients with COVID-19 present at the time of diagnosis with
fever and cough. At the latest when dyspnoea occurs, patients undergo
radiological diagnostics (especially low-dose CT), which typically shows bilateral infiltrates
[1, 2]. Although the radiological pattern in COVID-19 is specific and indicates a viral
origin, the overall constellation of clinical symptoms and infiltrates in
many cases also suggests an (community-acquired) atypical pneumonia and therefore
often leads to the use of antibiotics. The rationale for this is an analogy to influenza suspected by the
treating physicians, in which between 11% and 35% of cases
are complicated by a bacterial co-infection or a secondary bacterial pneumonia (usually caused by
Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus) [3]. Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis
and other fungal infections are also discussed as relevant complications
of severe influenza [4]. In studies reporting co- or superinfections in
SARS-1, 31% of cases had a bacterial or mycotic superinfection [5].
Due to the immune system being weakened by COVID-19, bacteria can multiply more easily. This can lead to pneumonia.
Bacteria can be treated very effectively with bacteriophages or antibiotics.
Treatment with bacteriophages is carried out as in bronchial asthma. Phages are nebulised using an inhalation device and inhaled. This allows the phages to reach the surface of the lungs and lyse (kill) bacteria located on the lung surface.
You can find out how phage therapy works for bronchial asthma here.
https://www.phage.help/phagentherapie-bei-asthma-bronchiale/
Source: DOI 10.25646/6961
https://dgn.org/neuronews/journal_club/hohe-rate-von-respiratorischen-co-und-superinfektionen-bei-covid-19/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10405-021-00385-2
