Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales outbreak: Another dark side of COVID-19.

ABSTRACT

In the hospital department dedicated to COVID-19-patient, infection prevention and control measures were upgraded. Therefore, the cross-transmission of other micro-organisms was thought unlikely to occur. However, we report an outbreak of NDM-5-producing Escherichia. coli in a 12-beds ICU dedicated to COVID-19 patients. This outbreak involved 6 patients of which 5 were asymptomatic carriers and 1 was infected. Several findings might have contributed to cross-transmission including the multiple-bedroom configuration of the department, uncomplete compliance for standard and contact precautions, overwork due to the burden of the disease, lack of training of staff for the care of ICU-patients, and misuse of gloves. Furthermore, as infection prevention and control measures were thought to be applied, contact patients were not screened for eXDR carriage. Applying rigorously standard and contact precautions and performing screening in contact patients when indicated must be the rules in COVID-19 wards.