Flare of the silent pandemic in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic: Obstacles and opportunities

Abstract

A noteworthy public health problem, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been impeded in many ways by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This narrative review discusses the two-sided impact of COVID-19 on the magnitude of AMR. The pandemic has put tremendous strain on healthcare systems, diverting resources, personnel, and attention away from AMR diagnosis and management toward COVID-19 diagnosis and contact tracking and tracing. AMR research has been severely hampered, and surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs have been de-emphasized, delayed, or halted. Antibiotics, particularly broad-spectrum, were prescribed more frequently without diagnostic confirmation of bacterial infection than before the pandemic. Nonetheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of healthcare systems in controlling infectious disease threats and raised awareness of the importance of infection prevention and control. Yet, the pandemic has created opportunities to capitalize on positive effects on AMR management. The review concludes that it is now more important than ever to focus on AMR and strengthen AMS programs to ensure appropriate antibiotic use and other AMR prevention measures in healthcare. We must ensure that one of the COVID-19 legacies is increased support for AMR research, diagnostic implementation, appropriate diagnostic stewardship, and the strengthening of our health systems. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that prevention is better than cure. Countries will need to step up their efforts to combat AMR as a multidisciplinary community. We must prepare our public health systems to combat multiple threats at the same time.

Keywords: One Health; Antimicrobial resistance; Coronavirus pandemic; Antimicrobials; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial stewardship

Core Tip: If given the resources, the globe can continue to develop robust public health and healthcare systems to protect its citizens against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The findings from this narrative review indicate that the pandemic's overuse of antibiotics highlights the need to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs so that they can guide disciplines. This review recommends that it is now more important than ever to focus on AMR and strengthen AMS programs to ensure appropriate antibiotic use and other AMR prevention measures in healthcare. Performing rapid and accurate point-of-care tests before an antibiotic prescription is an efficient way to optimize antibiotic administration and prevent the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.