How the Pandemic Gave Power to Superbugs

The pandemic inadvertently fueled the rise of superbugs as antibiotics were often prescribed to COVID patients, despite their ineffectiveness against the virus. Data reveals a global trend: approximately 75% of hospitalized COVID patients received antibiotics, with only 8% having bacterial coinfections. This overuse led to increased antibiotic resistance.

Despite efforts to combat superbugs, at least 1.2 million deaths annually result from drug-resistant pathogens, with a disproportionate impact on low- and middle-income countries. Even high-income countries like the U.S. are affected, experiencing a setback in progress against antibiotic resistance during the pandemic, with a significant increase in hospital-acquired antibiotic-resistant infections. Efforts to mitigate this global health threat remain imperative. Read more from NPR here.