SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza Co-Infection: Fair Competition or Sinister Combination?
Narasaraju Teluguakula,
Vincent T. K. Chow,
Mirazkar Dasharatharao Pandareesh,
Venkatesha Dasegowda,
Vidyasagar Kurrapotula,
Shivaramu M. Gopegowda,
Marko Radic
Affiliations
Narasaraju Teluguakula
Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, Adichunchanagiri University, Mandya 571448, Karnataka, India
Vincent T. K. Chow
Infectious Diseases Translational Research Program, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore 119228, Singapore
Mirazkar Dasharatharao Pandareesh
Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, Adichunchanagiri University, Mandya 571448, Karnataka, India
Venkatesha Dasegowda
Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, Adichunchanagiri University, Mandya 571448, Karnataka, India
Vidyasagar Kurrapotula
Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, Adichunchanagiri University, Mandya 571448, Karnataka, India
Shivaramu M. Gopegowda
Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, Adichunchanagiri University, Mandya 571448, Karnataka, India
Marko Radic
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
The COVID-19 pandemic remains a serious public health problem globally. During winter influenza seasons, more aggressive SARS-CoV-2 infections and fatalities have been documented, indicating that influenza co-infections may significantly impact the disease outcome of COVID-19. Both influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses share many similarities in their transmission and their cellular tropism for replication in the human respiratory tract. However, the complex intricacies and multi-faceted dynamics of how the two pathogens interact to ensure their survival in the same lung microenvironment are still unclear. In addition, clinical studies on influenza co-infections in COVID-19 patients do not provide conclusive evidence of how influenza co-infection mechanistically modifies disease outcomes of COVID-19. This review discusses various viral as well as host factors that potentially influence the survival or synergism of these two respiratory pathogens in the infected lung microenvironment.
