Effect of the COVID-19 epidemic on drug resistance of Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus was associated with more than 1 million deaths in 2019. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has lasted three years. In China, measures to control COVID-19 cases were adjusted in December 2022. In this study, we investigated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the drug resistance of S. aureus infection. Aim: Understanding the impact of the adjustment of COVID-19 control measures on the drug sensitivity of S. aureus will provide a reference for empirical drug use and the prevention of clinical S. aureus infection. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed, focusing on the clinical distribution and drug resistance of distributions of S. aureus isolated from the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University during the COVID-19 pandemic from January 2020 to March 2023. The effects of COVID-19 control measures on the drug resistance of S. aureus infection were further investigated. Results: A total of 1,437 strains of S. aureus were isolated, with a methicillin-resistant S. aureus detection rate of 19.2%. The department with the highest detection rate was the oncology department (17.0%, 244/1,437), followed by the intensive care unit (11.1%, 159/1,437), the dermatology department (10.7%, 154/1,437), and the wound repair and burn department (9.7%, 139/1,437). The most frequent specimens were secretions (42.0%, 603/1,437), followed by sputum (23.3%, 335/1,437), blood (10.7%, 154/1,437), and pus (5.4%, 78/1,437). The population distribution was primarily male (62.3%, 895/1,437). S. aureus infections were most common among those aged 50-65 (32.8%, 472/1,437), followed by those aged 18-49 (30.7%, 441/1,437). Staphylococcus aureus was most resistant to penicillin G (86.3%), followed by erythromycin (37.9%) and clindamycin (37.3%). The antibiotics with no resistance were linezolid, teicoplanin, tigecycline, and vancomycin. There was no significant difference in the drug-resistance rate between COVID-19-positive and COVID-19-negative patients. Conclusion: The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 and the adjustment of control measures had no significant impact on the drug resistance of S. aureus infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]