Oropharyngeal Microbiome Predicts Need for Respiratory Support Among COVID19 Patients

The severity of initial infection and subsequent clinical course with respiratory viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2), the causative agent of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), are thought to be influenced by the population of microbes that naturally colonize the upper airway, also known as the oropharyngeal microbiome. To determine how the oropharyngeal microbiome interacts with SARS-CoV2 and if it affects the clinical course of COVID-19, we carried out a study of the oropharyngeal microbiome among patients presenting to the Emergency Department and inpatient floors with symptoms of COVID-19.