A recent report the World Health Organsiation (WHO) has claimed that during the Covid-19 pandemic there has been an excessive usage of antibiotics.
The covid-19 pandemic caused the world to shut down for almost two years. Since then, lives, lifestyles have changed completely across the globe. the fatal pandemic claimed millions of lives leaving millions other left distraught. During this time, there was madness amongst health infrastructure. Trying to restore patients to health, medical professionals did their best. However, according to a recent report published by the World Health Organisation (WHO), this period also witnessed a over usage of antibiotics.
According to the WHO report, “New evidence from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows the extensive overuse of antibiotics during COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, which may have exacerbated “silent” spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
While only 8% of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 had bacterial co-infections requiring antibiotics, three out of four or some 75% of patients have been treated with antibiotics ‘just in case’ they help. Antibiotic use ranged from 33% for patients in the Western Pacific Region, to 83% in the Eastern Mediterranean and the African Regions. Between 2020 and 2022, prescriptions decreased over time in Europe and the Americas, while they increased in Africa.”
Excess of anything is bad and antibiotics have certain side effects that people should be aware of.
5 SIDE EFFECTS OF OVERDOSING ON ANTIBIOTIC PILLS
Bad Gut Flora: The gut is where the good bacteria flourish for better digestion and other processes. The bacteria that is present to balance proper digestion is called the gut flora. Overconsumption of antibiotics can create an imbalance that further can lead to digestive woes and other health issues as well.
Diarrhoea: diff is found in the human gut and can cause severe diarrhoea. This bacterium has led to thousands of deaths among children and adults every year. Lethal side effects like anaphylaxis, Steven Johnson syndrome, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and arrhythmias can also occur.
Fungal infections: While antibiotics are designed to kill harmful bacteria, they often kill good bacteria that helps protect people from fungal infections too. Due to this, people who consume antibiotics often fall prey to fungal infections in certain parts of their bodies, like the mouth, throat, and vagina.