Oral Candidiasis Infections Associated with Covid-19 Patients in West of Iraq

ABSTRACT

Coronavirus is a devastating global public health disaster in the last years. It affected a large proportion of people around the world. Some of the co-infections associated with the global COVID-19 pandemic are the secondary my cotic infections that following COVID-19 disease. There are genetic and environmental factors that are involved in these infections. In this research, the main goal is to study the my cotic infection of 87 COVID-19 patients of those with comorbidities diseases such as DM, Hypertension, and other chronic disease. Also, to observe the relationship between the my cotic infections and the patients which treated with corticosteroid and broad-spectrum antibiotics. As well as identification of Candida by using an efficient and sensitive molecular method for the Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene associated with contagion. Fungal DNA was extracted from patients according to well-established procedures. Then, DNA was amplified by PCR techniques using specific primers for ITS exons. The results of this study indicate a significant association between species of fungi, (P-value = 0.000) and [Chi-square = 54.76). Also, this study shows a significant association between species of Candida, (P-value = 0.000) and [Chi-square = 19.32). As well as the study mentions a significant association between species of fungi and recipient broad-spectrum antibiotics with an increased risk for COVID-19 contagion, (P-value = 0.044). In addition, our outcomes proved no significant association between fungi with smoking, DM, and hypertension, (P-value = 0.143), (P-value = 0.568), and (P-value = 0.070), respectively. Finally, no significant association appeared between fungi with an increased risk for COVID-19 contagion, (P-value = 0.170), [Chi-square = 0.053) about corticosteroid therapy. In conclusion the oral candidiasis was the most frequent infection among COVID-19 patients. However, our findings need more replication in the Arabic countries to confirm these outcomes. © 2022, ResearchTrentz Academy Publishing Education Services. All rights reserved.