Optimism despite COVID-19 impact on antimicrobial resistance

Vaccines against the coronavirus are causing optimism across the world. The COVID-19 pandemic will eventually be over, but the lesser-known antimicrobial resistance (AMR) epidemic has only been accelerated by COVID-19. We should use the current momentum from the coordinated worldwide response to defeat the AMR pandemic. Like viruses, resistant bacteria know no borders, and no country can tackle the challenge on its own.

Antimicrobial resistance is a top 10 global public health threat, according to the World Health Organization. Every year, more than 700,000 people die globally from antimicrobial-resistant infections. This corresponds to approximately 2,000 fatalities a day. According to projections from various thinktanks, by 2050 this death rate may reach 10 million a year, unless we manage to solve the problem of antimicrobial resistance. We rely on the availability of effective antibiotics to treat patients throughout the healthcare system, including infections related to COVID-19, leaving nearly every aspect of modern healthcare treatment at risk.