Beware, Health Agency Says Use Of Antibiotics And Antimicrobials During A Pandemic Increases Bacterial Resistance

Illustration of COVID-19 patient care. (Wikimedia Commons/Fars News Agency/Mohsen Atayi)

JAKARTA - Overuse of antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic is helping bacteria develop resistance that will render essential medicines ineffective over time, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warns.

Several countries in the Americas, including Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Paraguay, are reporting spikes in the detection of drug-resistant infections that may be contributing to the increase in deaths in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the health agency said.

"We have seen the use of antimicrobials increase to unprecedented levels, with potentially serious consequences," said PAHO Director Carissa Etienne, citing Reuters on November 18.

"We risk losing the drugs we rely on to treat common infections," he continued at a virtual press conference.

Antimicrobials are abused outside of hospitals and drugs such as ivermectin and chloroquine are used as unproven treatments that, even with strong evidence, they do not benefit COVID-19 patients, he said.

The use of ivermectin and chloroquine has been actively encouraged by some authorities in the region, such as Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.

Data from hospitals in the region shows that 90 percent to 100 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are given antimicrobials as part of their treatment. While only 7 percent of those with secondary infections require the use of the drug, Etienne said.

The misuse and overuse of antibiotics has long been seen as a potential threat that could lead to the emergence of so-called superbugs with resistance to existing treatments, a problem exacerbated by the pandemic.

"Throughout the pandemic, we have taken the power of antimicrobials for granted," he said, adding it may take months or years before the full impact of abuse and overuse becomes apparent.

There are several new antibiotics in the drug company network, as they tend to be much less profitable than other drugs and their use must be limited in order to remain effective.

"Just as we were able to channel our collective capacity to develop diagnostics and vaccines for COVID in record time, we need commitment and collaboration to develop new and affordable antimicrobials," said Etienne.