A hospital in New Jersey tracked cases of a difficult-to-treat bacteria called carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB). This bacteria can cause infections in hospitalized patients. The hospital reported 34 cases over a period of time.
The report found that the number of these bacteria cases peaked at the same time the hospital was experiencing a surge in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The hospital staff observed this pattern, but the report does not provide detailed statistics on how strong the link was.
This is an observational report from a single hospital. It shows a possible association in timing, but it does not prove that the COVID-19 surge caused the increase in bacteria cases. Many factors in a busy hospital could contribute. The report did not mention specific safety outcomes for the patients with these infections.
Readers should understand this is a report of an observation from one location. It highlights a potential challenge hospitals faced during the pandemic, but more research would be needed to understand the connection fully.