Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the surveillance, prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance: a global survey
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Abstract
Objectives
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on health systems. The WHO Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Surveillance and Quality Assessment Collaborating Centres Network conducted a survey to assess the effects of COVID-19 on AMR surveillance, prevention and control.
Methods
From October to December 2020, WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) national focal points completed a questionnaire, including Likert scales and open-ended questions. Data were descriptively analysed, income/regional differences were assessed and free-text questions were thematically analysed.
Results
Seventy-three countries across income levels participated. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 67% reported limited ability to work with AMR partnerships; decreases in funding were frequently reported by low- and middle-income countries (LMICs; P < 0.01). Reduced availability of nursing, medical and public health staff for AMR was reported by 71%, 69% and 64%, respectively, whereas 67% reported stable cleaning staff availability. The majority (58%) reported reduced reagents/consumables, particularly LMICs (P < 0.01). Decreased numbers of cultures, elective procedures, chronically ill admissions and outpatients and increased ICU admissions reported could bias AMR data. Reported overall infection prevention and control (IPC) improvement could decrease AMR rates, whereas increases in selected inappropriate IPC practices and antimicrobial prescribing could increase rates. Most did not yet have complete data on changing AMR rates due to COVID-19.
Conclusions
This was the first survey to explore the global impact of COVID-19 on AMR among GLASS countries. Responses highlight important actions to help ensure that AMR remains a global health priority, including engaging with GLASS to facilitate reliable AMR surveillance data, seizing the opportunity to develop more sustainable IPC programmes, promoting integrated antibiotic stewardship guidance, leveraging increased laboratory capabilities and other system-strengthening efforts.
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SciScore for 10.1101/2021.03.24.21253807: (What is this?)
Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.
Table 1: Rigor
Institutional Review Board Statement not detected. Randomization not detected. Blinding not detected. Power Analysis not detected. Sex as a biological variable not detected. Table 2: Resources
No key resources detected.
Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).
Results from LimitationRecognizer: We detected the following sentences addressing limitations in the study:Several survey limitations should be considered. Although these results provide a useful initial global snapshot of the impacts of COVID-19 on AMR, they could also be considered an oversimplification of complex and varying …
SciScore for 10.1101/2021.03.24.21253807: (What is this?)
Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.
Table 1: Rigor
Institutional Review Board Statement not detected. Randomization not detected. Blinding not detected. Power Analysis not detected. Sex as a biological variable not detected. Table 2: Resources
No key resources detected.
Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).
Results from LimitationRecognizer: We detected the following sentences addressing limitations in the study:Several survey limitations should be considered. Although these results provide a useful initial global snapshot of the impacts of COVID-19 on AMR, they could also be considered an oversimplification of complex and varying experiences across national and facility levels. Heterogeneity between countries in the robustness of their existing AMR surveillance systems and activities (i.e. capacity, experience, resources) may have affected survey interpretation. If national focal points did not coordinate their responses with other experts or did not have sufficient knowledge of the data or dynamics in their country, the validity and reliability of some responses may have been affected. Furthermore, self-reported perceptions of national focal points on the impacts of COVID-19 on AMR could have also been affected by self-desirability bias. This survey was the first concerted effort to explore the global impact of COVID-19 on AMR surveillance, prevention and control among GLASS countries. Although much focus is understandably placed on COVID-19 at present, we believe that AMR must remain high on the global health agenda. This survey included a wide range of country settings and responses which highlighted both the universal effects of COVID-19 on AMR as well as the heterogeneity of impacts across countries. The results underscore the importance of finding ways to leverage the COVID-19 response activities to also support routine AMR prevention and control, where possible, and advocate ...
Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.
Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.
Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.
Results from rtransparent:- Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
- Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
- No protocol registration statement was detected.
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