Respiratory failure & ventilation
Poor control of pulmonary viral replication in COVID-19 patients with early respiratory failure
Authors' conclusion
At the time of IMV initiation, patients with early respiratory failure showed high levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and evidence of active viral replication in the lower respiratory tract.
Study context
- Population
- Critically ill COVID-19 patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV); Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) collected within 24 h of intubation
- Participants
- 159 patients
- Outcome
- SARS-CoV-2 detection and replication in BAL
- Follow-up
- Within 24 h of intubation
Methodological detailssub-study of the CIBERESUCICOVID project
- Sub-study of the CIBERESUCICOVID project
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
SARS-CoV-2 RNA detected in BAL samples
84.3%
Positive for subgenomic E RNA
71.7%
Replication-competent virus confirmed
60%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Host immune gene expression
- Marked suppression of innate immune effectors despite robust expression of type I and type III interferons
- CXCL10 and PDL1 only genes independently associated with shorter time from symptom onset to IMV initiation
Original publication
Poor control of pulmonary viral replication in COVID-19 patients with early respiratory failure. Anaesth Crit Care Pain Med. Published 25 February 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →