# Antimicrobial Resistance in Taiwan During COVID-19 Pandemic

## Authors

- Chien-Ming Chao ([ORCID](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0235-9060)) — Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Liouying, Tainan, Taiwan

## Article information

- **Journal:** The Ulutas Medical Journal (Ulutas Med J), ISSN 2149-388X
- **Issue:** Volume 7, Issue 1 (2021), pages 1–3
- **Article type:** Letter to the Editor
- **Published online:** 2021-03-23
- **DOI:** [10.5455/umj.20210121074612](https://doi.org/10.5455/umj.20210121074612)
- **Licence:** [CC BY-NC 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)
- **Article page:** https://www.ulutasmedicaljournal.com/?mno=47571
- **PDF:** https://www.ulutasmedicaljournal.com/pdf/47571.pdf

## Abstract

Coinfection or secondary infection is not uncommon for COVID-19 patients, especially for patients with a critical illness (1). The appropriate antibiotic should be indicated for the population, however, we should also seriously concerned about another important issue about the possible altered antimicrobial resistance due to the increasing use of antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic (2-4). Therefore, we conducted this study to assess the change of antibiotic resistance before and after the COVID-19 outbreak using an open database-Taiwan Nosocomial Infection surveillance System (TNIS). The TNIS was launched by Taiwan Centers for Disease Control in 2007, which aimed to monitor the occurrence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and to assess the epidemiologic trends of HAIs. In addition to HAI, this system also provided the antimicrobial susceptibility results from reporting hospitals, including a medical center and regional hospitals. This study used the recent report of TNIS, which showed the surveillance results of HAI and associated antimicrobial resistance to this June, for analysis (5). Percentage (%) change was defined as the difference in the number of antibiotic resistance rates between 2020 and 2019, divided by the resistance rate in 2019 and multiplied by 100

## Keywords

Antimicrobial resistance; COVID-19; Taiwan

## How to cite

Chao CM. Antimicrobial Resistance in Taiwan During COVID-19 Pandemic. Ulutas Med J. 2021;7(1):1-3. doi:10.5455/umj.20210121074612

## References

1. Lai CC, Wang CY, Hsueh PR. Co-infections among patients with COVID-19: The need for combination therapy with non-anti-SARS- CoV-2 agents? J Microbiol Immunol Infect 2020;53 (4):505-512 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmii.2020.05.013
2. Gonzalez-Zorn B. Antibiotic use in the COVID-19 crisis in Spain. Clin Microbiol Infect 2020 Nov 18;S1198-743X(20)30609- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2020.09.055
3. Ruiz J. Enhanced antibiotic resistance as a collateral COVID-19 pandemic effect? J Hosp Infect 2020 Nov 17;S0195-6701 (20)30524-7 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.11.010
4. Chibabhai V, Duse AG, Perovic O, Richards GA. The c ollateral damage of the COVID-19 pandemic: Exacerbation of anti-microbial resistance and disruptions to antimicrobial stewardship programs? S Afr Med J 2020;110:572-3 https://doi.org/10.7196/samj.2020.v110i7.14917
5. Taiwan Centers for Disease Control. https://www.cdc.gov. tw/File/Get/sqrAKrJg_Uq8Ki5B0HtO3g?path=C_rEhWX_cIvurxn L9WQhEqxl1a7pa53jnCNLMVBsVajsKVNYXEgvuoiuF2518Ayg& name=8Tz0-xqvc_ePRqgyTaTUF_7lY4X6Tv5Nd5U3DqXehIFKV ffarzIx374ceBO3CQOxo4pblzzOKBfbGvuBzLMRGMh9nnhyUw SKC8GMyrzZGuD3Ls461ppgllxYkQF4i-kHrTE3P14gExT6vrw2_G C1xA. Accessed on December 3, 2020