Antibiotic Resistance Could Lead to More COVID-19 Deaths

In intensive care units, patients are at great risk of succumbing to infection by bacterial opportunists. A study of 191 patients in two Wuhan hospitals showed that 50 percent of those who died tested positive for secondary infections compared to only one of the 137 survivors. In this situation, antibiotics form a crucial second line of defence. Many studies indicate that nearly all severe COVID-19 patients will receive antibiotics. However, the global crisis of antibiotic resistance, which the World Health Organization declared a worldwide threat to public health in 2014, means this crucial defence is a dwindling resource.