Abstract:
There is currently no approved pharmaceutical product for the treatment
of COVID-19. However, antibiotics are currently being used for the
management of COVID-19 patients in many settings either treat to coinfections
or for the treatment of COVID-19 itself. In this commentary,
we highlight that the increased rates of antimicrobial prescribing for
COVID-19 patients could further worsen the burden of antimicrobial
resistance (AMR). We also highlight that though AMR is a global threat,
Africa tends to suffer most from the consequences. We, therefore, call
on African countries not to lose sight of the possible implications of the
treatment of COVID-19 on AMR and a need to redouble efforts towards
the fight against AMR while dealing with the pandemic.
