COVID-19 pandemic, medications, and antimicrobial resistance in India: A cascade of events

Abstract

Abstract SARS-CoV-2, a RNA virus emerged in Wuhan, China, in 2019, became a global cause of pandemic due to high transmissibility of virus. The devastation caused by the virus led to huge morbidity and mortality and left people with sense of inexpressible grief, social isolation, and health insecurity. Present narrative review discusses the plethora of events during the time of fear that led to irrational use of medicines and disinfectants which contributed to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and secondary fungal infections in India. We reappraised data of last 3 years (2020–2022) that were retrieved using EMBASE, Cochrane Registry of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, and Database of Abstracts of Reviews (OvidSP). We used secondary data for the narrative review article with core competency as medication knowledge and AMR during pandemic. The available evidence from secondary data from studies across the globe suggests that repurposing of drugs has immensely contributed to adverse effects and AMR. Now, it is right time to monitor long-term impact of repurposing of drugs, including antibiotics used during pandemic. Antimicrobial stewardship should be aligned for selecting appropriate empirical therapy and timely de-escalation of antimicrobials infections. Educating healthcare professionals, undergraduate students, patients, and public through various awareness programs may inculcate concerns related to rational use of drugs and threat of AMR in view of any future pandemic.