What happened to MRSA?

[Lencoboy]

I know I've already covered this briefly in other threads on here, but I seem to recall tales of the MRSA 'superbug' that was reportedly plaguing hospitals, care homes, etc being a big thing back in the 2000s, and often a highly politicised issue, in particular in the run-up to the 2005 GE, with the Blair govt getting it in the neck big time over it all.

Since the late 2000s (from around 2006 onwards), it kind of petered out as a hot (political) topic, and has barely received the same intense media attention that it did during the early-mid 2000s.

I really wonder what happened with MRSA in the sense that the media hardly ever seems to make a song and dance over it anymore. Surely it didn't simply vanish under the Tories, despite their mammoth furore over it when in opposition, which, as a big panic issue, seemed to go south post-2010, in a similar sense to their infamous 'Broken Britain' slogan.

One of the reasons I'm currently musing on this particular issue is because my mom is about to be admitted to a care home, even though the aforementioned MRSA horror stories in the media some 15-20 years ago hardly seem to figure these days.

What does anyone think?

[Carnation]

I think it's still around lencoboy.
My mum contracted it in hospital 6 years ago.

[Lencoboy]

I don't doubt in any way that it's still around.

But it no longer seems to be the media's favourite 'bogeyman' disease/ 'Armageddon' scenario (a la Covid, Monkeypox, etc), nor the same big issue to be having intense digs at the govt over.

[Fishmanpa]

Could you imagine if MRSA and COPD had a child? What would the name be?

FMP

[BlueIris]

I think that these things just get less publicity as we learn to get them mostly under control. I think MRSA tests before surgery are routine now.

[NoraB]

Is this type of thing your unhealthy obsession, Lenco?

It's mainly crime with me. Or injustice. Have to (try) and regulate myself or my anxiety goes nuts..

[pulisa]

I had to have an MRSA screen before having surgery 3 years ago. As Blue says, it's a routine procedure now.

Are you worried about your mum picking it up at the care home? If you are you can always ask about the home's policy regarding all infection control? Much better to get a definitive answer rather than ruminate on possible modes of transmission etc...

[Lencoboy]

Is this type of thing your unhealthy obsession, Lenco?

It's more to do with the fact that my mom will be admitted to a care home (provisionally for the next fortnight) for assessment this afternoon, and that care homes (like hospitals) were often hotbeds for MRSA during the alleged 'epidemic' back in the 2000s. In retrospect it seemed like one of the 'Covids' of the time.

Of course such places were also hotbeds for Covid earlier in the pandemic.

But I guess there's more rigorous cleaning and sanitisation in such places of late, whereas pre-2020 (and during the aforementioned MRSA 'epidemic'), such practices were generally more lax.

I guess the same also applies to places like schools, day centres, etc, which can also be susceptible to many bugs/viruses spreading.

Also, what happened to the recent Hepatitis 'epidemic' that was in the news around the spring of this year?
That in itself barely seems to get mentioned of late.

[Lencoboy]

It's mainly crime with me. Or injustice. Have to (try) and regulate myself or my anxiety goes nuts..

Same with me, but that's for a whole 'nother thread.

[Lencoboy]

I had to have an MRSA screen before having surgery 3 years ago. As Blue says, it's a routine procedure now.

Are you worried about your mum picking it up at the care home? If you are you can always ask about the home's policy regarding all infection control? Much better to get a definitive answer rather than ruminate on possible modes of transmission etc...

I guess there will always be the 'fear of the unknown' Pulisa.

But as already mentioned, rigorous cleaning and hygiene practices are now pretty much routine in such places. Plus the authorities and the local media would no doubt woe betide them and take them to court if they were caught foul of poor practices of hygiene and general cleanliness, especially in today's rampant suing culture, and of course not forgetting the H & S culture.