Drug-resistant Infections, Deaths Rose in 2020
2022-07-26
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1U.S. health officials recently reported that drug-resistant infections increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2The report came from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
3It said there was an increase in hospital infections and deaths in 2020.
4Dr. Arjun Srinivasan, a CDC expert, called it "a startling reversal" that he hopes was a one-year happening.
5CDC officials think there were several reasons for the rise.
6One was how COVID-19 was treated when it first appeared in the United States in early 2020.
7Antimicrobial drug resistance happens when organisms like bacteria and fungi gain the ability to resist the drugs that were designed to kill them.
8The misuse of antibiotics was a big reason for the increase, officials said.
9Unfinished or unnecessary prescriptions that did not kill the microorganisms made them stronger.
10Before the pandemic, health officials said U.S. drug-resistant infections appeared to be going down.
11Deaths fell from an estimated 44,000 in 2012 to 36,000 in 2017 - an 18 percent decrease.
12The government credited hospitals for the careful use of antibiotics, and for separating patients who might spread infections.
13The CDC does not have 2020 data for all infectious diseases.
14But it does have information on seven kinds of bacterial and fungal infections that were found in hospital patients.
15They include MRSA and a bacterium called CRE, which is known as "the nightmare bacteria."
16The CDC reported increases of 15 percent or more in infections and deaths from that group of microorganisms.
17From March to October 2020, almost 80 percent of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 received an antibiotic, CDC officials said.
18Use of certain kinds of antibiotics increased as doctors used many kinds of drugs to fight both the coronavirus and any bacterial co-infections.
19By 2021, use of antibiotics dropped.
20Dr. Srinivasan noted that the use of catheters, ventilators and other medical devices might also be down.
21Those devices are used on very sick patients and can be a means for drug-resistant microbes to enter patients' bodies.
22Any increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations - like the one being seen in the U.S. currently - increases that risk, he said.
23I'm Jonathan Evans.
1U.S. health officials recently reported that drug-resistant infections increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. 2The report came from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It said there was an increase in hospital infections and deaths in 2020. 3Dr. Arjun Srinivasan, a CDC expert, called it "a startling reversal" that he hopes was a one-year happening. 4CDC officials think there were several reasons for the rise. One was how COVID-19 was treated when it first appeared in the United States in early 2020. 5Antimicrobial drug resistance happens when organisms like bacteria and fungi gain the ability to resist the drugs that were designed to kill them. The misuse of antibiotics was a big reason for the increase, officials said. Unfinished or unnecessary prescriptions that did not kill the microorganisms made them stronger. 6Before the pandemic, health officials said U.S. drug-resistant infections appeared to be going down. Deaths fell from an estimated 44,000 in 2012 to 36,000 in 2017 - an 18 percent decrease. The government credited hospitals for the careful use of antibiotics, and for separating patients who might spread infections. 7The CDC does not have 2020 data for all infectious diseases. But it does have information on seven kinds of bacterial and fungal infections that were found in hospital patients. They include MRSA and a bacterium called CRE, which is known as "the nightmare bacteria." 8The CDC reported increases of 15 percent or more in infections and deaths from that group of microorganisms. 9From March to October 2020, almost 80 percent of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 received an antibiotic, CDC officials said. Use of certain kinds of antibiotics increased as doctors used many kinds of drugs to fight both the coronavirus and any bacterial co-infections. 10By 2021, use of antibiotics dropped. Dr. Srinivasan noted that the use of catheters, ventilators and other medical devices might also be down. Those devices are used on very sick patients and can be a means for drug-resistant microbes to enter patients' bodies. 11Any increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations - like the one being seen in the U.S. currently - increases that risk, he said. 12I'm Jonathan Evans. 13Mike Stobbe reported on this story for the Associated Press. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English. 14_________________________________________________________________ 15Words in This Story 16startling -adj. very surprising or shocking 17reversal -n. a change to an opposite state or situation 18prescription -n. a written message from a doctor that officially tells someone to use a medicine 19catheter -n. (medical) a tub that directly injects medicine or fluid into the body 20ventilator -n. (medical) a device for helping a person to breathe 21________________________________________________________________ 22What do you think of this story? 23We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 24Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.