Hospitals and other healthcare facilities have revisited and updated their infection control strategies numerous times since the COVID-19 pandemic began nearly a year ago. In many cases, the changes have been successful in protecting front-line workers from the illness. But along the way, they also might have created unforeseen consequences.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently said that at least 20 outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant infections have occurred in hospitals across the country since the start of the pandemic, according to UPI.

The outbreaks involved diseases that do not respond to treatment with currently available antibiotics. They occurred in treatment and observation units that house patients infected with the coronavirus, according to the agency.

Several of the outbreaks were linked with changes in hospital infection and control practices due to the pandemic, including possibly the reuse of personal protective equipment by staff.

CDC officials said the incidents highlight the continued threat posed by antibiotic-resistant pathogens as COVID-19 spreads in many parts of the country.

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