The World Health Organization has raised concerns about the extensive overuse of antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic, which could have led to an increase in antimicrobial resistance. According to the organization, only 8% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 actually needed antibiotics for bacterial co-infections, yet about 75% of patients were treated with antibiotics. The highest rate of antibiotic use was among individuals with severe or critical COVID-19, reaching 81% on average.
Despite the widespread use of antibiotics, the WHO found that it did not improve overall clinical outcomes for COVID-19 patients. Silvia Bertagnolio of WHO emphasized the importance of rational antibiotic use to minimize unnecessary negative consequences for patients and populations. The data was collected from approximately 450,000 patients admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 across 65 countries from January 2020 to March 2023.
Antimicrobial resistance is a pressing global public health threat, with at least 1.27 million people worldwide dying from it in 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC explains that antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria and fungi develop the ability to defeat drugs designed to kill them, making infections difficult or impossible to treat.
Yukiko Nakatani of WHO stressed the need to adequately resource efforts to improve antibiotic prescribing globally in light of these findings. The overuse of antibiotics during the pandemic highlights the importance of responsible antibiotic use to combat antimicrobial resistance and protect public health.