The variations of vaginal microbiota composition in relation to
the severity of COVID-19
Mycoplasma hominis , Fusobacterium nucleatum andAnaerococcus tetradius were only identified in patients with
moderate or severe disease (8%, 0.03%, and 0.003%, respectively)
(Figure 4). In a comparison of the patients with asymptomatic or mild
and moderate or severe disease, there was no significant difference in
abundance of Prevotella timonensis (0.05% and 0.02%, p=0.379);
however, Ureaplasma spp. was significantly higher in the moderate
or severe group (2.09%) than those of the asymptomatic or mild (
0.04%, p=0.005). In addition, Gardnerella vaginalis showed a
gradual increase in both two groups (1.99% and 5.11%) compared to the
healthy controls (9.33%) (Figure 4).
In the longitudinal vaginal microbiota analysis of the three pregnant
women, the relative abundance of Actinobacteria increased from 10.8% to
59.2% during active infection and returned to 10.8% in the
post-COVID-19 phase. There is a declining trend in the abundance of
Bacteroidata (Bacteroidetes) (from 65.4% to 17.9%) and Firmicutes
(from 59.2% to 28.4%) during the phase of active COVID-19 with no
regrowth in the post-COVID-19 phase (17.9% and 10.8%, respectively)
(Figure 5).