Effect of nasal carriage of Bacillus species on COVID-19 severity: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Intranasal sprays containing Bacillus species are being researched for treating viral respiratory tract infections. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the nasal carriage of Bacillus and COVID-19 severity. This was a cross-sectional study that collected nasopharyngeal samples from adults 18 years and above visiting two COVID-19 testing centers in Lagos, Nigeria, between September 2020 and September 2021. Bacillus species were cultured from the samples and confirmed using 16 s rRNA gene sequencing. The dependent variable was COVID-19 status classified as negative, asymptomatic, mild, or severe. The independent variable was the nasal carriage of Bacillus species. Multinomial regression analysis was done to determine the association between nasal carriage of Bacillus and COVID-19 severity after adjusting for age, sex, and co-morbidity status. A total of 388 participants were included in the study with mean (standard deviation) age of 40.05 (13.563) years. Sixty-one percent of the participants were male, 100 (25.8%) had severe COVID-19, 130 (33.5%) had pre-existing comorbidity, and 76 (19.6%) had Bacillus cultured from their nasopharyngeal specimen. Bacillus species presence was significantly associated with higher odds of severe COVID-19 compared to having a negative COVID-19 status (AOR = 3.347, 95% CI: 1.359, 8.243). However, the presence of Bacillus species was significantly associated with lower odds of severe COVID-19 compared to having a mild COVID-19 status. The study suggests that nasal carriage of Bacillus species is associated with the clinical course of COVID-19 and supports the exploration of Bacillus species in the management of viral respiratory tract infections. IMPORTANCE With the introduction of intranasal spray containing Bacillus species for the treatment of viral respiratory tract infections, such as COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus, identifying the association between the nasal carriage of Bacillus species and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity will help further substantiate the investigation of these bacteria for COVID-19 prevention and treatment. This study evaluated the association between the carriage of Bacillus species in the nasopharyngeal tract and COVID-19 severity and found that the presence of Bacillus species in the nasopharynx may significantly impact the clinical course of COVID-19.