Covid testing. (Data map)
The World Health Organization (WHO) said today that the "widespread overuse" of antibiotics during the coronavirus pandemic has not improved clinical outcomes and could increase antimicrobial resistance from "superbugs", posing a growing threat.
The WHO has warned that while only 8% of people infected with the coronavirus are admitted to hospital with a bacterial infection that can be treated with antibiotics, in reality, three-quarters of patients are given antibiotics only "just in case".
WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris stressed that during the pandemic, the WHO has never recommended the use of antibiotics to treat the coronavirus.
The coronavirus is a virus, not a germ
"The WHO recommendation was very clear from the beginning, that COVID is a virus," she said. So there's no guidance or recommendation for clinicians to go in the direction of using antibiotics, but maybe because people are dealing with something completely new, they're looking for whatever they see fit. ”
According to WHO, antibiotic use rates range from 33% of patients in the Western Pacific Region to 83% in the Eastern Mediterranean and African Regions. Between 2020 and 2022, the number of prescriptions for antibiotics in Europe and the Americas decreased over time, but increased in Africa.
The last hope
WHO data also shows that people with severe COVID use the highest proportion of antibiotics at a global average of 81%. Antibiotic use in patients with mild or moderate infection varies widely across regions, with Africa having the highest rate of 79%.
WHO has found that the most commonly used bacteriostatic antibiotics globally are more likely to develop antimicrobial resistance, which is worrying.
Silvia Bertagnolio, Head of the Surveillance, Evidence and Laboratory Strengthening Unit in WHO's Department of Antibiotic Resistance, said: "When patients need antibiotics, the benefits often outweigh the risks of side effects or antibiotic resistance. However, when antibiotics are not necessary, they are risky, unbeneficial, and contribute to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. ”
No benefit
The WHO report notes that the use of antibiotics "does not improve clinical outcomes in patients with the coronavirus" and, on the contrary, that the systematic use of antibiotics "may harm people without bacterial infections" compared to those who do not receive antibiotic treatment.
"These data call for improved use of antibiotics to minimize unwanted negative effects on patients and populations," WHO said.
The findings are based on data from the WHO COVID-19 Global Clinical Platform, an anonymized clinical database of 450,000 COVID-19 hospitalised patients from 65 countries between January 2020 and March 2023.
Superbugs
Antimicrobial resistance threatens the prevention and treatment of a range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.
Over time, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change and no longer respond to medications, making infections more difficult to treat and increasing the risk of disease transmission, severe illness, and death. As a result, the drug loses its effectiveness and the infection persists in the body, which increases the risk of informing others.
Antimicrobials (including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics) are medicines used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals, and plants. Microorganisms that develop antimicrobial resistance are sometimes referred to as "superbugs".
