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Background. At the height of the novel coronavirus infection, the risk of fungal coinfection increases due to a decrease in the immune status of patients and massive antibacterial therapy, which leads to a complication in the course of the underlying disease and increases the risk of an unfavorable outcome. Therefore, it is necessary not only to identify all associates that cause the infectious process, but also to determine their sensitivity to antibacterial and antifungal drugs in order to select an adequate treatment regimen for a patient.The aim of the study was to investigate the species composition of fungal associates in corona positive and corona negative patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), as well as to determine the spectrum of sensitivity/resistance of yeasts and yeast-like fungi to antimycotic drugs.Material and methods. The species composition of the fungal microflora in sputum samples from 723 patients with CAP, sent from a health care facility in Rostov-on-Don, was investigated. The isolated cultures were identified using bacteriological and mass spectrometric methods. The sensitivity of yeasts to antimycotic drugs was determined by disk-diffusion method.Results. It has been established that yeast and yeast-like fungi were present in sputum samples in 31–32% of patients with CAP in etiologically significant quantities. 10 different types of yeast and yeast-like fungi were identified. Candida albicans was the predominant species in terms of the number of isolated cultures (83%). A re-examination of corona positive patients after their hospital stay revealed a tendency towards an increase in the number and intensity of manifestation of candidal lesions. Moreover, a change in Candida species has been registered, which entails a change in their sensitivity to antifungal drugs. A high percentage of strains resistant to fluconazole was identified after determining the sensitivity of fungi to antimycotics.Conclusion. The data obtained demonstrate that yeast and yeast-like fungi are the dominant associates in complicated forms of CAP. In this regard, it seems appropriate to provide individual microbiological support to patients during their treatment with the identification of all pathogens.

Relevance. In the context of the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus infection, the course of viral pneumonia is often complicated by the addition of bacterial microflora due to a decrease in the body's immune status. The causative agents of such a co-infection can exhibit multiple drug resistance, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of etiotropic therapy. In this regard, it seems expedient to provide microbiological support to patients in order to select the most optimal treatment regimens. Aim. To study the composition of bacterial pathogens’ species, that cause community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in corona-positive (COVID-19+) and corona-negative (COVID-19–) patients and to determine the spectrum of their sensitivity/resistance to antibacterial drugs. Material and methods. The species composition of microorganisms in sputum samples from 723 patients with CAP, who were admitted from the healthcare facility in Rostov-on-Don in August and December 2020 were studied. The isolated cultures were identified using bacteriological and mass spectrometric methods. The sensitivity of bacteria to antibiotics was determined by the disk diffusion method. Results. It was shown that in August pneumococci and staphylococci prevailed in the spectrum of CAP pathogens, while in December the percentage of excretions of Acinetobacter spp. and S. haemolyticus increased. Various types of p. Candida yeast were found with a high degree of isolation, COVID-19 + patients showed a tendency towards greater contamination (I104 mcl/ml). Some pathogens (A.baumannii, S.haemolyticus, P.aeruginosa, S.maltophilia) are characterized by polydrug resistance, and some strains of these species are pan-resistant to all groups of antibiotics. Conclusion. The data obtained demonstrate that severe forms of community-acquired pneumonia can be caused by viral-bacterial and viral-bacterial-yeast combinations of pathogens, including bacteria with a narrow spectrum of sensitivity to antibacterial drugs.