WHO: Antibiotics were prescribed too often during the coronavirus pandemic
Published: Friday, Apr 26th 2024, 18:50
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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), patients have been prescribed antibiotics far too often during the coronavirus pandemic. According to the WHO, this could have exacerbated the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the WHO reported in Geneva on Friday. This refers to bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi becoming resistant to medication, which can be life-threatening for the treatment of those affected.
Only eight percent of those infected with coronavirus in hospitals also had bacterial infections that could be treated with antibiotics. However, an average of 75 percent worldwide had received these drugs "just in case it helps", as the WHO wrote. More urgently needs to be done to use antibiotics correctly and only where they can be beneficial. In the case of a coronavirus infection, they would have done nothing for patients.
The WHO evaluated anonymized data from around 450,000 people for the analysis. These were people who were hospitalized with a coronavirus infection in 65 countries between January 2020 and March 2023.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing problem worldwide. The European Union estimates that 35,000 people die each year in the member states, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein alone because their bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi are resistant to common medicines. The EU describes AMR as one of the three greatest threats to health.
©Keystone/SDA
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