Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Antimicrobial Resistance: A Review of Trends and Antibiotic Patterns in India
Abstract:
The pandemic situation caused by SARS-CoV2
had a severe influence on the health system all over the world. After two and
half years of this situation, the WHO has downgraded the COVID-19 pandemic and
has declared that it is no longer a global health threat. Though the COVID-19
infection has reduced around the world, the irrational intake of antibiotics
for the past 3 years has aggravated the antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
globally. In this review, we examined the pattern of reported AMR during the
pandemic in India and also highlighted antibiotic susceptibility during the
pandemic situation. An online search was carried out to include all the
original articles that were published in India on antimicrobial resistance and
COVID-19 from March 2020 to May 2023 in the following databases: PUBMED,
SCOPUS, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Google Scholar; Key
antimicrobial-resistant findings were identified from 12 relevant studies.
Among the gram-negative bacteria, the prevalent antimicrobial-resistant
bacteria were A. baumanii and K. pneumonia followed by E. coli. The predominant
resistant gram-positive bacteria were S. aureus. Around 50% of the
Acinetobacter spp were carbapenem-resistant. Multidrug-resistant K. pneumonia, A.
baumannii
and E. coli were also reported. Increased intake of antibiotics during the
COVID-19 pandemic may have increased the virulence of the superbug by showing
resistance to various drugs. Judicious use of antibiotics, public awareness
campaigns on antibiotic usage, and improved hygiene practices, both in
healthcare settings and in the community can help in reducing the transmission
of infections and subsequently decreasing antimicrobial resistance.
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