Characteristics of Reported Gonorrhea Diagnoses During The COVID-19 Pandemic Compared With Pre–COVID-19 Pandemic, Baltimore City, Maryland

Abstract

Background: Sexual health service disruptions due to COVID-19 mitigation measures may have decreased gonorrhea screening and biased case-ascertainment toward symptomatic individuals. We assessed changes in reported symptoms and other characteristics among reported gonorrhea cases during pandemic versus prepandemic periods in 1 city with persistent gonorrhea transmission.Methods: Enhanced surveillance data collected on a random sample of gonorrhea cases reported to the Baltimore City Health Department between March 2018 and September 2021 was used. Logistic regression assessed differences in case characteristics by diagnosis period (during pandemic:

Antibiotic-Resistant ESKAPE Pathogens and COVID-19: The Pandemic beyond the Pandemic

“…N. gonorrhoeae , the cause of the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea, is a crucial public health threat in the United States [ 188 ]. However, in an analysis of gonorrhea trend during the pandemic compared with the pre-COVID era in one U.S. urban area, no increase in the proportion of reported diagnoses was observed despite the decreased screening [ 189 ]. In a study carried out in Mexico in 46 medical centers, an increase in methicillin-resistant S. aureus , carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae , and antibiotic-resistant A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 190 ].…”