From Editor’s Desk…
The damage caused by the pandemic has led to a global health disaster that has changed the way we see the world and how we go about our daily lives. We are just starting to understand the longterm implications of infection with COVID-19 because it is a relatively novel disease. It’s probable that the harm done to COVID-19 survivors’ lungs and other organs will have long-lasting effects and complicate their recovery.
Studies showed that after 15 years, more than one-third of people who had SARS still had lung damage. In a follow-up, another study on MERS found that 36% of patients had lung damage. If lung damage is a long-term effect of COVID-19, it could mean that patients are more likely to get bacterial infections even after they have gotten over their initial COVID-19 infection. In addition, frequent need of antibiotics for secondary bacterial infections is a major drawback of COVID-19 exposure. As a result, antibiotic resistance could rise as a long-term consequence of the pandemic.
According to studies, empirical antibiotics were given to 72% of COVID-19 hospital patients, most likely to rule out bacterial infections that were acquired in the community and to stop bacterial secondary infections. The majority of the early pandemic research came from China, however the antibiotic regimen will probably differ depending on the time and locale.
It’s important to note that the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s most recent guidelines say that antibiotics should only be used in COVID-19 cases if there are signs of a bacterial infection other than COVID-19 pneumonia symptoms (e.g., localized chest findings, a neutrophil count outside the normal range, lobar consolidation on chest imaging, and positive microbiology).
Reference
Farrell JM, Zhao CY, Tarquinio KM, Brown SP. Causes and Consequences of COVID-19-Associated Bacterial Infections. Front Microbiol. 2021 Jul 20;12:682571. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.682571.
Dr. Khaid Mohammed Alabdulwahhab
Editor in Chief
Key words: Editorial
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