Changing Epidemiology of Respiratory Tract Infection during COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The outbreak of COVID-19 has significantly changed the epidemiology of respiratory tract infection in several ways. The implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) including universal masking, hand hygiene, and social distancing not only resulted in a decline in reported SARS-CoV-2 cases but also contributed to the decline in the non-COVID-19 respiratory tract infection-related hospital utilization. Moreover, it also led to the decreased incidence of previous commonly encountered respiratory pathogens, such as influenza and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Although antimicrobial agents are essential for treating patients with COVID-19 co-infection, the prescribing of antibiotics was significantly higher than the estimated prevalence of bacterial co-infection, which indicated the overuse of antibiotics or unnecessary antibiotic use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, inappropriate antimicrobial exposure may drive the selection of drug-resistant microorganisms, and the disruption of infection control in COVID-19 setting measures may result in the spread of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). In conclusion, NPIs could be effective in preventing respiratory tract infection and changing the microbiologic distribution of respiratory pathogens; however, we should continue with epidemiological surveillance to establish updated information, antimicrobial stewardship programs for appropriate use of antibiotic, and infection control prevention interventions to prevent the spread of MDROs during the COVID-19 pandemic.