Coccidioidomycosis and COVID-19 Co-Infection, United States, 2020

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Emerg Infect Dis
• Personal Author:
  Heaney, Alexandra K. ; Head, Jennifer R. ; Broen, Kelly ; Click, Karen ; Taylor, John ; Balmes, John R. ; Zelner, Jon ; Remais, Justin V.
• Description:
  We review the interaction between coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and coccidioidomycosis, a respiratory infection caused by inhalation of Coccidioides fungal spores in dust. We examine risk for co-infection among construction and agricultural workers, incarcerated persons, Black and Latino populations, and persons living in high dust areas. We further identify common risk factors for co-infection, including older age, diabetes, immunosuppression, racial or ethnic minority status, and smoking. Because these diseases cause similar symptoms, the COVID-19 pandemic might exacerbate delays in coccidioidomycosis diagnosis, potentially interfering with prompt administration of antifungal therapies. Finally, we examine the clinical implications of co-infection, including severe COVID-19 and reactivation of latent coccidioidomycosis. Physicians should consider coccidioidomycosis as a possible diagnosis when treating patients with respiratory symptoms. Preventive measures such as wearing face masks might mitigate exposure to dust and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, thereby protecting against both infections.
• Subjects:
  Aged Coccidioidomycosis Coinfection Coronavirus Infections Covid-19 Ethnicity Humans Minority Groups Pandemics Sars-Cov-2
• Source:
  Emerg Infect Dis. 27(5):1266-1273
• Pubmed ID:
  33755007
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC8084485
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  R01 AI125842/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R01 AI148336/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States
• Place as Subject:
  United States
• Volume:
  27
• Issue:
  5
• Collection(s):
  Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:fd4722a7815e13ee43ce434e617f6930e34bd4bca8a6e0b6ea752d04ad520021
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/106027/cdc_106027_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.13 MB ]