Sharp surge in antimicrobial resistance
Researchers from Queen’s University in Belfast in Northern Ireland have found new issues linked to COVID-19 and warns a sharp surge in antimicrobial resistance linked with its treatment in the after-effects of the pandemic.
The paper is published in EMBO Molecular Medicine. Leading microbiologists Jose Bengoechea as well as Connor Bamford, Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine at Queen’s highlight the dramatic impact of co-infections in COVID-19 patients and also urge caution over a new wave of antimicrobial resistance
The scientists have discussed in their paper – how COVID-19 patients are at threat of developing extreme microbial infections.
The scientists suggest potentially deadly microbial respiratory infections may arise later on or coincidentally from healthcare facility stays as well as the treatment offered.
Co-existing microbial infection alongside the virus might aggravate the clinical result and the severity of COVID-19 in a patient, raising the threat of fatality.
Post-mortem analysis of tissues from COVID-19 patients and clinical data suggest the presence of bacterial co-infections.
The study highlights how SARS-CoV-2 and bacteria in the lungs may affect each other’s capability to trigger damages, and the clinical result and the severity of COVID-19 in a patient could aggravate with the
immune response to the virus being various when bacteria are present.Additionally, the study suggests the likeliness of the gut microbiota being interrupted in extreme COVID-19 patients, which might impact disease outcomes, including predisposition to secondary bacterial lung infections.
“The absence of therapies to treat serious COVID-19 people led medical professionals to utilize a variety of treatments to customize the activity of their immune system”, said Jose Bengoechea, Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Director of Wellcome Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen’s University.
Nevertheless, it is vital to note that these treatments may likewise increase the danger of possibly deadly secondary bacterial respiratory infections.
“As a result, attentive consideration must be offered whether any type of possible new therapy might influence the patients’ protection against bacterial infections. We believe that there is an urgent demand to develop new therapeutics to treat with COVID-19 targeting the virus/bacteria co-infection circumstance”.
The study likewise raises issues regarding the influence of COVID-19 on antimicrobial resistance around the world.
Almost all extreme COVID-19 patients are being treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, which not only may have limited outcomes but are also associated with higher death.
As numerous coronavirus individuals receive antibiotics as part of their treatment regimen, WHO had recently revealed worries that the coronavirus pandemic will certainly boost the global threat of antimicrobial resistance.
“We are still in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and are learning more about this virus and disease daily. The most worrying factors emerging in the sickest patients are the link between bacterial and other microbial co-infections”, said Connor Bamford, Virologist and Wellcome-ISSF Research Fellow, the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen’s University.
He added, “The study suggests that bacterial infection alongside the virus is likely to make COVID-19 worse, although we don’t yet know the true extent. Its harder to treat when there is a rise of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria. It is clear that we will need new drugs that take into consideration both the virus and the bacteria”.
“It is important that co-infections should not be underestimated and instead be part of the plan to limit the global burden of morbidity and mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond”, said Bengoechea.
He added, “We hope that our study exploring the role of bacterial and SARS-CoV-2 co-infections will result in the improved health of COVID-19 patients and possibly even save the lives of the people”.
Author: Sruthi S
