WHO warns of excessive use of antibiotics during pandemic; know the risks

During the pandemic, antibiotics were used in a widespread and excessive manner in patients hospitalized with Covid-19, which may have increased the spread of microbial resistance. This is what a survey published by World Health Organization (WHO) this Friday the 26th.

The research was carried out based on around 450 thousand patients hospitalized due to covid-19 in 65 countries in between January 2020 and March 2023. The information was obtained from the WHO Global Clinical Platform for Covid-19, a data collection network on the topic.

It is important to highlight that the Covid-19 It is caused by a virus and is therefore not treated with antibiotics (which fight bacteria). But there are cases in which a co-infection occurs and the patient deals with both Covid-19 and bacteria that actually require the use of antibiotics – this is a specific situation that affected only 8% of individuals hospitalized with the disease in the period, according to the WHO. Even so, around 75% of these patients were treated with this medication “just in case”.

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The incidence of this method varied between different regions, according to the WHO. In the Western Pacific region (countries located close to the Pacific Ocean, on the western side) use was 33%, while in the Eastern Mediterranean (countries close to the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea) and in African regions this rate reached 83%.

Furthermore, over time analyzed, the use of antibiotics also changed. Between 2020 and 2022, antibiotic prescriptions for patients hospitalized with Covid-19 decreased in Europe and the Americas, while they increased in Africa, according to the WHO.

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Regarding the types of antibiotics prescribed, the survey concluded that the most used were those with the greatest potential for microbial resistance, according to the WHO classification.

In general, the use of antibiotics did not improve the clinical outcomes of patients with covid-19, according to the WHO. On the contrary: it may have caused harm to people without bacterial infections compared to those who did not receive antibiotics.

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Risks of indiscriminate prescribing

The main risk associated with excessive use of antibiotics is microbial resistance. According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), this is a condition in which microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi, become resistant to antimicrobial treatments to which they were previously susceptible, such as antibiotics.

The more exposed to these drugs, the more likely these microorganisms are to adapt – and become resistant – to them.

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With this in mind, WHO representatives highlight the need for efforts to improve the rational prescription of antibiotics and minimize the negative consequences of unnecessary use.