Background The co-infection of COVID-19 with community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is rare but can lead to severe outcomes, especially in diabetic patients with impaired immune function. CA-MRSA, especially PVL-positive… Click to show full abstract
Background The co-infection of COVID-19 with community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is rare but can lead to severe outcomes, especially in diabetic patients with impaired immune function. CA-MRSA, especially PVL-positive strains, can exacerbate COVID-19 symptoms and drive rapid disease progression. Patient and Methods We present a case of a 53-year-old diabetic female patient with poor glycemic control, who was hospitalized with COVID-19 and rapidly progressed to severe pneumonia. Despite antiviral treatment with Paxlovid and dexamethasone, as well as antimicrobial therapy with piperacillin-tazobactam, her condition deteriorated, leading to respiratory failure requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. A post-mortem sputum culture confirmed MRSA on the day following the patient’s death. Conclusion This case underscores the critical need for screening and treating bacterial co-infections in COVID-19 management, particularly in immunocompromised hosts, due to the enhanced pathogenicity of CA-MRSA strains. Early recognition and appropriate antimicrobial therapy are essential in reducing the impact of such co-infections.
               
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