CDC Finds Antimicrobial Resistance Boomed During Coronavirus Pandemic

A CDC report on antimicrobial resistance found that hospital-onset infections and deaths from antimicrobial-resistant infections rose 15% during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. Data from 2019 to 2020 saw an increased infection rate among seven pathogens, the most prevalent of which was a 78% increase in the carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter. Antifungal-resistant infections also rose in 2020, with one variety increasing in frequency by 60%.  

Treatments for these resistant infections are limited, and few companies are actively developing new antibiotics. 

In total, 29,400 people died of antimicrobial-resistant infections in 2020, 40% of whom were infected while admitted to a hospital. The CDC report revealed that deaths might have been underreported because of gaps caused by the pandemic.  

“This setback can and must be temporary. The COVID-19 pandemic has unmistakably shown us that antimicrobial resistance will not stop if we let down our guard; there is no time to waste,” stated Michael Craig, MPP, and Director of CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance Coordination & Strategy Unit. “The best way to avert a pandemic caused by an antimicrobial-resistant pathogen is to identify gaps and invest in prevention to keep our nation safe.” 

CDC officials consider antimicrobial-resistant bacteria one of the largest and fastest-growing threats to public health.   

The reason for the sharp rise in infections and deaths was given by the CDC as a combination of factors, including increased antibiotic use, improper infection prevention, and difficulty following control guidance. Hospitals and care facilities resorted to the heavy use of antibiotics to protect or treat secondary infections after coronavirus infection. Early on, 90% of patients were treated with antibiotic prescriptions due to secondary infections. 

Prior to the CDC report’s publishing, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) pledged $300 million to combat antibiotic resistance over the next decade. “Antibiotic resistance continues to grow at an alarming rate worldwide, killing an estimated 1.27 million people each year and affecting the US and global economies. To save lives and keep pace with that growing threat, we need to accelerate the development and delivery of innovative and effective antibiotics,” said Dawn O’Connell, HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.  

Pharmaceutical company Pfizer has also joined in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, pledging $100 million to develop new antibiotics before 2030. Each year, 2,800,000 people in the United States suffer infections from antimicrobial-resistant bacteria; estimates show that by 2050 infections could lead to 10 million deaths annually.