<i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i> re-emerges as a cause of community-acquired pneumonia, including frequent co-infection with SARS-CoV-2, in Germany, 2021
Juliane Ankert, Stefan Hagel, Claudia Schwarz, Kaijie Pan, Liz Wang, Christof von Eiff, Bradford D. Gessner, Christian Theilacker, Mathias W. Pletz
Abstract
Following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, many countries implemented containment measures to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2. These containment measures were associated with a substantial reduction in the activity of other respiratory viruses as well as bacterial disease such as pneumococci [1, 2]. Consequently, as containment measures were gradually withdrawn, a rebound of RSV disease in children [3] and increases in pneumococcal diseases (IPD) were observed [4]. However, little is known how increasing population-immunity against SARS-CoV-2, the circulation of new SARS-CoV-2 variants, and withdrawal of containment measures have impacted the microbiology of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) over time. Here, we describe the etiology of hospitalized CAP among adults in Germany during 2021, the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Germany had implemented strict COVID-19 containment measures, which were gradually withdrawn over the year and re-implemented before 2022 [5]. Footnotes This manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the ERJ Open Research . It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJOR online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article. Conflict of interest: Juliane Ankert has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Stefan Hagel has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Claudia Schwarz has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Kaijie Pan has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Liz Wang has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Christof von Eiff has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Bradford D. Gessner has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Christian Theilacker has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Mathias W. Pletz has nothing to disclose.