Overuse of Antibiotics During COVID-19 Crisis Raises Global Concerns

During the COVID-19 crisis, doctors around the world turned to antibiotics to treat patients. However, a recent study by the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals a troubling trend. Antibiotics were given to three out of four patients worldwide, even when they didn’t need them. This misuse of antibiotics has led to a growing problem of antibiotic resistance, according to the WHO.

Examining health reports from 450,000 COVID-19 patients across 65 countries from January 2020 to March 2023, the WHO found that only 8 percent of hospitalized patients actually required antibiotics. Shockingly, doctors prescribed antibiotics to an average of 75 percent of patients globally, with rates varying from 33 percent in the Western Pacific region to 83 percent in Gulf and African countries. While antibiotic prescribing rates declined in Europe and the US from 2020 to 2022, they increased in Africa.

Most concerning is that giving antibiotics did not improve the health of COVID-19 patients. Instead, it harmed patients without bacterial infections, as stated by the WHO. Antibiotics were most commonly administered to patients with severe COVID-19 conditions, with 81 percent receiving them globally. Even patients with moderate or mild symptoms were given antibiotics in some regions, such as Africa, where 79 percent received unnecessary treatment.

While antibiotics are beneficial when needed, their misuse poses significant risks, such as the development of antibiotic resistance. The WHO emphasizes that the benefits of antibiotics must outweigh the risks, and unnecessary use should be avoided to prevent further harm to patients’ health and global efforts against antibiotic resistance.