Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on infection in a tertiary healthcare institution in Belgium.

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) causes the greatest number of healthcare-associated infectious diarrhoea. CDIs are transmitted by direct and indirect patient-to-patient contact and risk increases with the use of antibiotics. Since early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected healthcare systems in many ways including substantial changes in hygiene behaviour. The aim of this study was to assess whether CDI incidence differed during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to a year before. All tests for suspected CDI cases were recorded for a hospital in Brussels, Belgium. The percentage of CDI... Mehr ...