Antibiotics, resistance, and pandemics
Unlike COVID-19, which has spread swiftly across the globe, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a slow-moving pandemic. But is there – or will there be – a link between the novel Coronavirus and antibiotic resistance? A recent webinar by Gerry Wright, the Canada Research Chair in Molecular Studies of Antibiotics at McMaster University, explored the intersection between COVID-19 and AMR, delving into issues including secondary infections, the dubious use of antibiotics and the large-scale use of antiseptics.
Missed the webinar? Watch it here.
“Most COVID-19 patients who are hospitalized have received antibiotics to counter secondary infections, which are common in viral respiratory infections,” explains Wright. “But the widespread use of antimicrobial drugs, in combination with the large-scale use of antiseptics, may contribute to AMR in the long term.”
To add to this, Wright says, news reports that advocate using Hydroxycholoroquine in combination with Azithromycin have resulted in people self-medicating and contributed to global shortages of these medications, specifically Azithromycin.
Antibiotic resistance is happening for a number of reasons – microbial, human, environmental, and economic ones. It’s driven by evolution and has been exacerbated by human activity. How will COVID-19 impact AMR, in the long and short term?
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