CDC Report Details Antimicrobial Resistance Infection Increases

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rates for antimicrobial resistance infections have steadily increased. Prior to the pandemic, these numbers were being managed through the identification and containment of threats by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and cleaning professionals. However, with the focus on SARS-CoV-2, the threat of these infections has increased due to antibiotics being given incorrectly to nearly 80% of COVID-19 patients.

The CDC recently released a comprehensive report titled “COVID-19 U.S. Influence on Antimicrobial Resistance: 2022 Special Report” to address this health and safety issue. This report discusses these infections before and during the pandemic, and gives cleaning professionals, especially in healthcare facilities, a guide to identify and mitigate infection risks moving forward.

One of the main emphases in the report was a need for healthcare facilities and cleaning professionals to communicate effectively. This stream of communication will help prevent these infections from spreading even when cleaning jobs are more focused on COVID-19 prevention instead. The CDC also implemented their Infectious Disease Forecasting Center in April 2022 to help professionals analyze trends to prevent other pandemics in the future.

While sharing information on antibiotic resistance cases is crucial, being able to prevent spreads through proper cleaning protocols and preventative measures is also important to reduce those numbers and identify risks long before infections even begin.