S. aureus has been a poster child of drug resistance, particularly methicillin-resistant S. aureus, or MRSA. MRSA bacteria are resistant to a variety of antibiotics, including those related to penicillin, and they were one of the first superbugs to receive widespread public attention in the 1990s.
While the threat of drug resistance has grown over time, rates of MRSA and other hospital-related superbugs did appear to be on the wane across U.S. hospitals in recent years, the result of formalized infection control programs in these settings. But as with so many things, the pandemic has made the problem worse.
Last fall, a study from the CDC found that the rate of healthcare-associated infections, which are often drug-resistant, rose in 2020. This rise largely came from the pressure placed on hospitals during the pandemic, with MRSA being no exception. The rate of MRSA in hospitals rose by 34% during the fourth quarter of 2020 relative to 2019, for instance, after having declined in the first quarter.
It’s possible that once the pandemic is over, MRSA will go back on the decline. But with the U.S. once again facing a surge of covid-related hospitalizations and deaths, it’s likely not happening yet.