FIVE THINGS ABOUT THE PANDEMIC AND SUPERBUGS

1 WHILE WE’RE FOCUSED ON COVID ...

Widespread use of hand sanitizer and disinfectant is crucial in the fight against COVID-19, but it could be setting Canada back in a separate battle against superbugs, say microbiologists.

2 A PANDEMIC OF A DIFFERENT KIND

Antimicrobial resistant organisms, or superbugs, were directly responsible for 5,400 deaths in 2018, according to a recent report by the Council of Canadian Academies. If nothing is done, by 2050 there could be as many as 140,000 preventable deaths.

3 ‘DISINFECTANT ... ALL OVER THE STREET’

Some experts worry even strictly necessary efforts to destroy the novel coronavirus linked to COVID-19 could actually drive some bacteria to become more resistant. “I was a little freaked out by watching tanker trucks full of disinfectant being sprayed all over the street in some countries,” said Dr. Lori Burrows, a professor of biochemical science at Mcmaster University. “It seems a little excessive to me.”

4 THE DOWN SIDE OF ANTIBIOTICS

The use of drugs during the pandemic could also have an effect, said Dr. Gerry Wright, director of the Michael G. Degroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at Mcmaster. Secondary bacterial infections are common in patients with severe upper respiratory symptoms, he said, which lead doctors to prescribe antibiotics. And increased use of antibiotics leads to an increase in antimicrobial resistance.

5 WAIT AND SEE FOR NOW

A rise in virtual doctor visits could also lead physicians to prescribe antibiotics without testing for bacterial infections first, said Dr. Andrew Morris, medical director of the Sinai Health System-university Health Network Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. We won’t know either way until after the pandemic passes, he said.