According to an ICMR study in almost 10 hospitals, which includes Sion and Hinduja hospitals in Mumbai has shown that overuse of antibiotics along with superbugs can worsen the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

The study has shown that over half of the COVID-19 patients who are getting infected with a secondary bacterial or fungal infection are dying. A secondary infection occurs during or after the treatment of another infection.

The numbers in the study are very less, i.e., 4% of the 17,000 Covid patients were studied who had secondary bacterial and fungal infections. ICMR scientist, Kamini Walialed the study and said that generalizing these numbers to the total Covid hospitalisations shows that lakhs of people must be having a prolonged hospital stay, and need higher doses of antibiotics to prevent off hospitalisation-acquired infections which usually develop after 10 days.

COVID-19 related mortality throughout the world is around 10%. The sub-group of COVID-19 patients along with a fungal or bacterial infection and were a part of the ICMR study, had shown approximately 56.7% deaths. Antibiotics treatment wipes out good bacteria too. The study has also highlighted that several patients needstrong antibiotics as they have superbugs that could not be treated with common antibiotics. As per the World Health Organisation, half of the coronavirus patients with bacterial infection (i.e., 52.36%) were given “watch category” antibiotics. These antibiotics are meant to be used judiciously only for specific types of infections. One fifth of these coronavirus patients were given antibiotics categorized as last resort or in reserve category.

Drug-resistant variants of Klebsiella pneumonia, pseudomonas aeruginosa and acinetobacter baumannii were the most common bacterial infections. Many experts (who were not linked to the study) believe that overuse of antibiotics and anti-fungal scan contribute to an increase in rare infections like black fungal or mucormycosis. Intensivist, Dr Rahul Pandit, a member of the state government’s task force forCOVID-19 said that the body has an inherent flora, good bacteria which plays a protective role. But whenever the antibiotics are given without a reason, these good bacteria are also wiped out, letting opportunistic infections to attack.

Dr Khusrav Bajan, Hinduja Hospital, said the studies that were conducted during the first COVID-19 wave had shown that 17% of the Covid patients suffered secondary infections and 73% of them were given antibiotics. In the 2nd wave, youngsters are coming after taking two or three antibiotics during the 1st phase of treatment at home. By the time they come they need higher or stronger antibiotics.

In COVID patients who end up staying for longer duration in hospitals, antibiotics are given to prevent any hospital-acquired infection. The main worry is that excess antibiotics can cause ‘pressure’ on the pathogens who might become drug-resistant.

The pattern of antibiotic usage at home taken by Covid patients too can have long-term consequences. After the extensive use of azithromycin, it has to be seen if it will be effective against typhoid in the coming future.

Source: ET Healthworld