COVID-19 Pandemic: Upswing in Antibiotic Misuse
Novy Gupte and Sapna Pradhan
Published: November 30, 2021
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19, caused by the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, after originating from the Wuhan City of China, was declared a “pandemic” on 11 March 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO). Availability of a number of vaccines against COVID-19 may prove a game-changer. However, in the absence of an acceptable specific antiviral agent, therapeutic approaches in an overwhelming majority of the cases are a cocktail of symptomatic/supportive measures, immunity boosters, immunomodulators, immunotherapy, steroids and antimicrobials. In life-threatening situations in hospitalized patients, critical care measures are adopted. In deference to the recommendations of the WHO, antibiotics such as azithromycin and doxycycline continue to be consumed irrationally in a large proportion of the patients even in absence of a bacterial coinfection, especially in the resource-limited countries. The widespread misuse of antibiotics is likely to have worsened the already existing problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The endeavors aimed at controlling the COVID-19 pandemic (that has been causing huge morbidity and mortality worldwide and adversely impacting economy), need to be complemented with spirited and restrengthened campaign against irrational antibiotic use that is augmenting the AMR. Also, there is a need for promoting antibiotic prudency through alternative and complementary therapies. Most importantly, developing the new antibiotics from new classes should be a top priority.
Keywords: Antibiotic prudency; Antimicrobial resistance; Multidrug resistance; New antibiotics; Superbugs