Determining_the_role_of_bacterial_and_fungal_pathogens_for_the_mortality_of_Covid_19_patients__A_follow_up_cohort_study_in_Northern_Italy

Since the early phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been widely observed that mortality is highest among the elderly and immunocompromised patients, however, the possible role of co-infections with bacterial and fungal pathogens remains unclear. We will use targeted culturing -based whole genome sequencing to identify the bacterial and fungal pathogen organisms present in Covid-19 patient samples, to estimate their causal role for patient mortality and to help to find guidelines for assessing the risk of co-infections for patient populations. This is the 2nd cohort sof this study. This follow up is required to strengthen our conclusions significantly by adding more power and the ability to compare mortality rates as a function of co-infection between the two waves.