Inappropriate antibiotic use for COVID-19 is linked to resistance

AI Summary

UC San Francisco researchers have found that taking azithromycin for even one day triggers antibiotic resistance in the respiratory tract microbiome, based on a study of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The findings highlight the dangers of inappropriate antibiotic use during viral infections like COVID-19.

Taking azithromycin for as little as one day triggers antibiotic resistance in the respiratory tract, according to a first-of-its kind look by scientists at UC San Francisco of the changes that occur in the microbiome of hospitalized patients who were treated for COVID-19. Azithromycin is one of the most widely used antibiotics in the world, and it is essential for treating certain classes of bacterial infections that cause strep throat, pneumonia, and sexually transmitted diseases. But it does not work against viruses.