A CDC analysis of inpatients at U.S. hospitals shows significantly higher odds of hospital-onset methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa among patients with COVID-19 in 2020–21, compared with patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) hospitalized in 2019. The percentage of patients with positive cultures at discharge from hospital-onset infections was higher with COVID-19 than ILI (4.1% vs. 2.4%), even though fewer patients with COVID-19 had bacterial or fungal coinfections (7.0% versus 10.4% in the ILI group). The risk of hospital-onset infections among those with COVID-19 was increased by longer lengths of stay, critical care stay, and mechanical ventilation. “Hospitals should continue to focus on infection control and antibiotic stewardship measures for patients with COVID-19 to prevent healthcare-associated infections, including antibiotic-resistant pathogens,” the authors conclude.
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