Fig. 2

Pneumococcal density correlates with RSV load, inflammation and severity. Pneumococcal density was correlated with viral load (a) and MMP-9 and IL-6 levels (b). Correlations were tested for significance using a Spearman correlation test. Pneumococcal density was compared between the three severity groups (c). Data shown are median ± IQR. Differences in bacterial carriage density are tested using a Kruskal-Wallis test. When significant differences were found, Mann–Whitney U tests were performed to specify which groups differed (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01)