Extensive Antibiotic Overuse In COVID-19 Patients Without Clinical Benefits, WHO Reports

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised concerns over the "extensive overuse" of antibiotics among hospitalised COVID-19 patients during the pandemic, highlighting that such practices did not enhance clinical outcomes and may have contributed to the escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Despite only eight percent of these patients having bacterial infections treatable with antibiotics, an alarming three-quarters received them as a precautionary measure.

Dr. Margaret Harris, a spokesperson for WHO, emphasized that the organisation never endorsed the use of antibiotics for treating COVID-19, attributing the widespread misuse to clinicians grappling with the unknown aspects of the virus. The misuse varied significantly across regions, with antibiotic prescriptions ranging from 33 percent in the Western Pacific Region to 83 percent in the Eastern Mediterranean and African Regions. Notably, while prescriptions declined in Europe and the Americas from 2020 to 2022, they surged in Africa.

Analysis by WHO revealed that critically ill COVID-19 patients were the most frequent recipients of antibiotics, with a global average of 81 percent. The use in mild or moderate cases showed significant regional disparities, peaking at 79 percent in Africa. Alarmingly, the antibiotics most commonly prescribed were those with a higher potential for contributing to AMR.

Dr. Silvia Bertagnolio, heading WHO's Unit for Surveillance, Evidence and Laboratory Strengthening in the Division for AMR, cautioned against unnecessary antibiotic use. She pointed out that while antibiotics are crucial for patients who need them, indiscriminate use poses risks and fuels antimicrobial resistance. The WHO's findings underscored that systematic antibiotic prescription could harm individuals without bacterial infections more than those not receiving antibiotics at all.

The data underpinning these findings were sourced from the WHO Global Clinical Platform for COVID-19, encompassing anonymous clinical information from 450,000 patients across 65 countries between January 2020 and March 2023. This extensive review underscores the urgent need for more judicious use of antibiotics to mitigate unnecessary adverse effects on patients and communities at large.

AMR remains a formidable challenge in healthcare, threatening to render current treatments ineffective against a growing list of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi. This resistance leads to harder-to-treat infections, heightening the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and mortality. The situation is exacerbated by microbes evolving into "superbugs" that are resistant to multiple antimicrobials, including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics.

The WHO's alert serves as a critical reminder of the importance of responsible antibiotic use within healthcare settings to combat the looming threat of antimicrobial resistance effectively.

With inputs from WAM