Photo: Collected
Extensive overuse of antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to the spread of antimicrobial resistance, as some 75% of those hospitalized received the drugs, while only 8% actually needed them, the World Health Organization said on Friday (26 April).
"New evidence from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows the extensive overuse of antibiotics during COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, which may have exacerbated 'silent' spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). While only 8% of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 had bacterial co-infections requiring antibiotics, three out of four or some 75% of patients have been treated with antibiotics ‘just in case’ they help," WHO said in a statement.
The figures for antibiotic use varied by region, from 33% for patients in the Western Pacific region to 83% in the Eastern Mediterranean and African regions, the statement said. The general trend between 2020 and 2022 was that antibiotic prescriptions decreased over time in Europe and the Americas, while they increased in Africa.
"Highest rate of antibiotic use was seen among patients with severe or critical COVID-19, with a global average of 81%. In mild or moderate cases, there was a considerable variation across regions, with the highest use in the African Region (79%)," the statement read.
The findings are based on WHO data from 450,000 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in 65 countries over a three-year period between January 2020 to March 2023.
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