The Effect of the Prevalence of Covid-19 on Arbitrary Use of Antibiotics

Background: Pathogens’ resistance to antibiotics is one of the major problems in Iran and worldwide, which has caused the healthcare system to face many problems dealing with infectious agents. Following the prevalence of Covid-19, people with mild symptoms have avoided seeking medical attention while preferring self-medication. This has exacerbated the crisis of antibiotic resistance. Here we aimed to investigate the effect of the prevalence of Covid-19 on the overuse of antibiotics. Materials & Methods: The data gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. The study’s target population was the servants of the holy shrine of Fatima Masumeh (PBUH) and members of Vanak Park Complex located in Tehran. A total of 168 people participated in this research and the results were summarized and presented as percentages and graphs. Results & Conclusion:  20.8% of people used antibiotics during the outbreak of Covid-19, of which 20% said that the outbreak of Covid-19 and quarantine prevented them from going to medical centers and self-medicating. In this case, it can be concluded that fear of coronavirus disease has affected the rate of referrals to medical centers and the intensification of self-medication and overuse of antibiotics, and finally the crisis of antibiotic resistance.  

Keywords:

Drug resistance , Resistance to antimicrobial drugs , Antibiotics , Coronavirus , Covid-19 , مقاومت دارویی , مقاومت به داروهای ضدمیکروبی , آنتی بیوتیک , کرونا ویروس , کووید-19