Suboptimal antimicrobial stewardship in the COVID-19 era: is humanity staring at a postantibiotic future?

Abstract

In the absence of potent antimicrobial agents, it is estimated that bacterial infections could cause millions of deaths. The emergence of COVID-19, its complex pathophysiology and the high propensity of patients to coinfections has resulted in therapeutic regimes that use a cocktail of antibiotics for disease management. Suboptimal antimicrobial stewardship in this era and the slow pace of drug discovery could result in large-scale drug resistance, narrowing future antimicrobial therapeutics. Thus, judicious use of current antimicrobials is imperative to keep up with existing and emerging infectious pathogens. Here, we provide insights into the potential implications of suboptimal antimicrobial stewardship, resulting from the emergence of COVID-19, on the spread of antimicrobial resistance.