The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has cautioned that overuse of antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents during the COVID-19 pandemic is leading to the development of resistance among bacteria, which will eventually make these medicines ineffective.

Countries in the Americas, such as Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Guatemala and Paraguay, are reporting increased rates of drug-resistant infections which have possibly led to the rise in mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, stated the agency.

Data available from hospitals in the region indicates that 90-100% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients received an antimicrobial agent during treatment, when just 7% of them had a secondary infection, requiring the use of these medications, said PAHO director Carissa Etienne… (Reuters, November 17, 2021)