Increased Hospitalizations Involving Fungal Infections during COVID-19 Pandemic, United States, January 2020-December...

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Hospitalizations due to fungal infections showed a consistent annual increase of 8.5% in the United States between 2019 and 2021.
• A concerning trend emerged during 2020-2021, with a notable rise in fungal infections co-occurring with COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in hospitalizations related to fungal infections in the US.
• To compare in-hospital mortality rates between COVID-19-associated and non-COVID-19-associated fungal infections.
• To underscore the importance of enhanced fungal disease surveillance, especially during respiratory virus pandemics.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of national hospitalization data from 2019-2021.
• Comparative analysis of mortality rates based on COVID-19 co-infection status.
• Statistical evaluation of trends and differences in outcomes.

Main Results:

• An average annual increase of 8.5% in hospitalizations for fungal infections was observed across the United States from 2019 to 2021.
• During the 2020-2021 period, patients hospitalized with fungal infections concurrent with COVID-19 experienced a significantly higher in-hospital mortality rate of 48.5% compared to 12.3% for those with non-COVID-19-associated fungal infections.

Conclusions:

• Fungal infections represent a growing burden on hospital systems, with a clear upward trend in admissions.
• The co-occurrence of fungal infections and COVID-19 dramatically increases patient mortality risk.
• Strengthening fungal disease surveillance systems is critical for effective public health response, particularly in the context of viral pandemics.