Is there Co-infection of Influenza and Covid-19 in Jos, North Central Nigeria?

Abstract

Background: Influenza virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome virus-2 (SARS CoV-2) are known to cause respiratory disease in humans that may be fatal. They have caused epidemics and constitute significant public health challenges because of their ability to spread and cause severe disease. Co-infection with both viruses has been shown to increase the odds of fatality among affected patients. Our study aimed to investigate co-infection with influenza among patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in Jos, Plateau State.

Methodology: We carried out a cross-sectional study using stored nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal samples of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 using GeneXpert. The samples were collected at our institution and stored at -80 °C. The samples were analysed for influenza co-infection using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.

Results: Two-hundred-and-forty-one (241) stored samples of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were analysed. None of the samples tested positive for the influenza virus.

Conclusion: We found no case of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 co-infection among the patients studied. This suggests that the prevalence of influenza virus infection may be low in our setting and partly explains the relatively benign outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infections in our region.