Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance of Common Bacterial Isolates Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic in Armed Forces Hospital Jazan, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top global public health issues. After the pandemic of corona virus 2019 (COVID-19), AMR became a challenging complex that needs to be addressed during the corona pandemic. Objectives: Evaluating the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) before and during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study that was conducted at Armed Forces Hospital Jazan, Saudi Arabia using positive cultures` results from microbiology department. Results: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the most prevalent microorganisms isolated from the patients. E. coli was the most isolated organism from patients with infections such as: COVID-19 fever, sepsis, urinary tract infections and wound infection. There was no significant change between 2019 and 2020 regarding AMR prevalence. Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the AMR before and during the COVID-19 era thus other large population studies must be conducted to evaluate worldwide evolution of AMR during COVID-19 pandemic.