No abstract

<p>The COVID-19 pandemic, which was caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has impacted every area of life, including efforts concerning antibiotic resistance (AMR). Antibiotic usage in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) patients exceeded the incidence of bacterial coinfections and secondary infections during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting irrational and excessive prescribing. Even in settings with established antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs, weaknesses were seen regarding the optimal use and administration of antibiotics during the epidemic. This irrational use and prescribing threaten the future of antimicrobial use and imply the possibility of another pandemic caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens.</p><p>In this review, we summarized the important aspects of COVID-19's impact, specifically on antimicrobials and other aspects. Antimicrobial stewardship programs are to be reinforced if not already implemented in all hospital settings to guide antimicrobial selection. This could contribute to combating this emerging concern of antimicrobial resistance.</p>