WHO: Antibiotics overused in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, raising antimicrobial-resistance concerns

The World Health Organization said on Friday that antibiotics were extensively overused to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients during the pandemic without improving clinical outcomes, a practice that likely increased the threat of antimicrobial resistance.

The UN health agency said just 8% of coronavirus patients in hospital had additional bacterial infections that could be treated with antibiotics, yet 75% were given antibiotics ‘‘on a just-in-case basis,’’ WHO spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris said. Harris emphasized that WHO never recommended antibiotics for treating COVID-19, which is caused by a virus.

WHO reported regional variation in prescribing: antibiotics were given to 33% of hospitalized patients in the Western Pacific region and to 83% in the Eastern Mediterranean and Africa. The agency warned that antimicrobial resistance threatens the prevention and treatment of an increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.

Daniel Johnson reported the WHO bulletin for UN News.