Antimicrobial resistance during the COVID-19 pandemic: the missing patient perspective

Abstract

While the use of antibiotics for secondary infections in COVID-19 has been described in scientific literature and guidelines have been issued for their appropriate use, the importance of listening to patients in a systematic manner has often been overlooked. To highlight this issue, we spoke with patients about their experiences with antibiotics as treatment for COVID-19 and their understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We found that there is a general lack of awareness of the risks of AMR, and even when patients are knowledgeable, fear of COVID-19 and pressure from healthcare providers often override considerations for appropriate use. We present case examples of three patients’ experiences and provide recommendations for health systems, healthcare providers, and patients or caregivers on actions they can each take to reduce the risk of AMR during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. We also share ways that the patient community can be empowered to provide their voices to decision-making on both COVID-19 treatment protocols and prescriptions of antibiotics.

Tetrahedral Framework Nucleic Acids: A Novel Strategy for Antibiotic Treating Drug-Resistant Infections

“…Under the raging infectious diseases around the world, the increase in dosage requirements of antibiotics has resulted in the reduction of clinical effects of the antibiotic and the aggravation of patient side effects. − The emergence of drug-resistant bacterial strains renders antibiotics incapable of penetrating mutated thickened bacterial cell walls or biofilms . Drug-resistance genes change the protein structure and the number of antibiotic targets and affect drug binding .…”

Skewed perception of personal behaviour as a contributor to antibiotic resistance and underestimation of the risks

“…It is also not clear whether there is broad public understanding of the role played by societal, rather than personal factors, in driving AR. Assessing the extent of public knowledge in both the causes and risks of AR is essential to inform effective public information campaigns and to enable effective antibiotic stewardship, given the central role of patients in the management of antibiotic use in particular [ 12 , 15 ].…”