A World Health Organization (WHO) stated that three out of four patients diagnosed with covid-19 received recommendations for taking antibiotics “just in case.” The set increased excessive use of medicationsince only 8% of cases had bacterial infections – which can be treated with antibiotics.
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“At no time during the global pandemic did the WHO recommend the use of antibiotics to treat Covid-19,” said WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris. “The advice was very clear from the beginning that this was a virus. So, it’s not like there was any guidance or recommendation that doctors go in that direction,” she added.
Overall, antibiotic use ranged from 33% for patients in the Western Pacific region to 83% in the Eastern Mediterranean and African regions. Between 2020 and 2022, prescriptions declined over time in Europe and the Americas, but increased in Africa. The majority of prescriptions were directed to patients in critical condition from Covid-19.
“When a patient needs antibiotics, the benefits often outweigh the risks associated with side effects or antibiotic resistance. However, when they are unnecessary, they offer no benefit while carrying risks, and their use contributes to the emergence and spread of resistance antimicrobial”, said Dr. Silvia Bertagnolio, head of the WHO unit for Laboratory Surveillance.
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According to her, antimicrobial resistance threatens the prevention and treatment of an increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses, including Covid-19. As a result, medications become ineffective and infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of spreading to other people.
