The Pandemic beyond the Pandemic: A Scoping Review on the Social Relationships between COVID-19 and Antimicrobial Resistance

Abstract

The social sciences are essential to include in the fight against both public health challenges of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and COVID-19. In this scoping review, we document what social science knowledge has been published about the social relationship between COVID-19 and AMR and which social science interventions are suggested to address this social relationship. We analysed 23 peer-reviewed articles published between 2019 and 2021. Results emphasize that changes in antibiotic prescription behaviour, misinformation, over-burdened health systems, financial hardship, environmental impact and gaps in governance might increase the improper access and use of antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing AMR. The identified social sciences transformation strategies include social engagement and sensitisation, misinformation control, health systems strengthening, improved infection prevention and control measures, environmental protection, and better antimicrobial stewardship and infectious diseases governance. The review emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary research in addressing both AMR and COVID-19.

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Epidemic on Antimicrobial Resistance: A Literature Review

“…Though the available evidence is low quality (deriving mainly from case reports, case series and monocentric observational studies), making it difficult to assess the precise extent to which COVID-19 pandemic impacted antimicrobial resistance, it is reasonable to believe that the widespread disruption of healthcare services led to a significant shift of AMR patterns worldwide. In particular, the increased patient exposure to antimicrobials, along with an unprecedented burden on healthcare workers, limited laboratory capacity, and a diffuse loss of adherence to routine infection control practices (including proper screening and isolation of patients colonized by MDROs) are likely to have promoted the selection and diffusion of resistant pathogens [88]. Concerning antimicrobial prescription, large meta-analyses have identified an important gap between the incidence of co-and secondary infections (respectively 3.5% and 14.5%) [23], and the proportion of COVID-19 patients who were exposed to antimicrobials [22], that peaked to 86.4% among critically ill patients.…”

Review on Various Antibiotic Contamination in Natural Sources: Effects on Environment Including Animals and Humans

“…During COVID-19 pandemic period, due to health system disruptions, these antibiotic drugs were used most. As a result, the resistance of the antibiotic 46 as well as cancer, urinary tract infection, and multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis patients increased worldwide. [47][48][49][50][51] After effect of COVID-19 antibiotic use and its resistance also a horr ible picture.…”

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

“…It is noteworthy that these alarming data refer to the pre-COVID era. The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly exacerbated many health problems [ 9 ], including AMR [ 10 , 11 ], leading to its designation as a “silent pandemic” [ 12 , 13 ], a “silent tsunami” or a “neglected pandemic” [ 14 ]. A growing body of evidence suggests that COVID-19 may impair the advances made in recent years [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”