In a recent study published in a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers assessed the impact of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on antimicrobial resistance (AR).
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the progress made so far in the fight against AR in the US. Various reports have shown that the risk of antimicrobial-resistant infections has worsened since the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 15% increase in resistant nosocomial infections and mortality.
About the study and results
In this study, the CDC assessed the state of antimicrobial resistance in the US following the COVID-19 infection peaks in 2020. To see also : ZKW equips the new all-electric Volvo C40 with high-tech lights.
The results of the study showed that just after reaching the COVID-19 infection peak in 2020, there was a significant increase in the number of resistant infections diagnosed during hospitalization. It is noteworthy that there was an overall 15% increase in the concentrations of seven pathogens between 2019 and 2020, including (1) Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter which showed an increase of 78%, (2) Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa which showed an increase of 32 %, (3) Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) with 14% increase and (4) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with 13% increase in infections.
In addition, the team saw a 60% increase in the number of Candida auris infections in 2020, with a 26% increase in the number of infections diagnosed during hospitalization. Interestingly, the 2019 report revealed that the number of antimicrobial-resistant infections decreased by 27% between 2012 and 2017, indicating a steady decline in the number of antimicrobial-resistant infections by the time the COVID-19 pandemic began. However, the team noted that Clostridioides difficile was the only pathogen to show a reduction in infections in 2020, possibly due to changes in healthcare seekers’ behavior during the pandemic.
Hospitals in the US have also shown a significant increase in antibiotic use and difficulties in adhering to recommended infection prevention and control guidelines. During the pandemic, hospitals reported problems with the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), longer patient stays and staff shortages. Hospitals also reported seeing more ill people who required more and longer use of medical devices such as ventilators and catheters. Therefore, the pandemic probably contributed to the increase in infections resistant to antimicrobial agents.
Of the 29,400 people who contracted antimicrobial-resistant infections in the first year of the pandemic, nearly 40% became infected during hospitalization. In addition, the team noted that from March to October 2020, approximately 80% of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 were treated with an antibiotic. Such a large number of patients who have been prescribed antibiotics may put them at risk of side effects, thus creating a pathway to antimicrobial resistance.
Conclusion
To cope with the threat of rising antimicrobial-resistant infections, the CDC plans to explore development opportunities in the following areas: This may interest you : Tracking contacts for air travel: The CDC’s data system needs significant improvement.
COVID-19 reverses progress in the fight against antimicrobial resistance in the editorial office of the US CDC. July 12, 2022 https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0712-Antimicrobial-Resistance.html
