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

Antibacterial resistance is a renewed public health plague in modern times, and the COVID-19 pandemic has rekindled this problem. Changes in antibiotic prescribing behavior, misinformation, financial hardship, environmental impact, and governance gaps have generally enhanced the misuse and improper access to antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic. These determinants, intersected with antibacterial resistance in the current pandemic, may amplify the potential for a future antibacterial resistance pandemic. The occurrence of infections with multidrug-resistant (MDR), extensively drug-resistant (XDR), difficult-to-treat drug-resistant (DTR), carbapenem-resistant (CR), and pan-drug-resistant (PDR) bacteria is still increasing. The aim of this review is to highlight the state of the art of antibacterial resistance worldwide, focusing on the most important pathogens, namely Enterobacterales, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and their resistance to the most common antibiotics.

Automated summary

Antibacterial resistance is a growing problem in public health, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this issue. Antibiotic misuse and improper access have increased during the pandemic, potentially amplifying the future antibacterial resistance pandemic. Infections caused by multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant, difficult-to-treat drug-resistant, carbapenem-resistant, and pan-drug-resistant bacteria continue to rise. This review highlights the current state of antibacterial resistance worldwide, focusing on important pathogens such as Enterobacterales, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Klebsiella pneumoniae and their resistance to common antibiotics.