A new study suggests that a majority of COVID-19 patients admitted to US hospitals during the first few months of the pandemic were prescribed antibiotics even before the confirmation of a bacterial infection.

The study conducted by Pew Charitable Trusts suggests that the drugs were over-prescribed between February and July 2020. The study included data from 5,838 hospital admissions and emphasized on the risk of unnecessary antibiotic prescribing, which could eventually hasten the emergence of drug-resistant superbugs. In the study, 52% of hospital admissions led to the prescription of at least one antibiotic. On the contrary, 20% of the patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia, and 9% were diagnosed with urinary tract infections… (HT – Reuters, March 11, 2021)