Hidden pandemic of antibiotic-resistant infections, health officials warn

UK health officials are warning of a "hidden pandemic" of antibiotic-resistant infections if people fail to act responsibly after Covid.

Cold symptoms will be more common this winter, with social mixing - but taking antibiotics is not the answer. This could encourage harmful bacteria to evade treatment and put everyone's health at risk, the UK Health Security Agency says.

One in five people with an infection in 2020 had an antibiotic-resistant one. And if the bacteria causing their infection no longer responds to treatment with these common medicines, this can cause serious complications and lead to hospital admission.

Antibiotics should be taken or prescribed only when really needed, for example to treat bacterial infections such as sepsis, meningitis or pneumonia. They can also help protect against infection during chemotherapy, Caesarean sections and other common surgeries.

However they are sometimes prescribed to treat coughs, earache and sore throats, on which they have little or no effect.

UKHSA chief medical adviser Dr Susan Hopkins said antimicrobial resistance was a "hidden pandemic" and it was important "we do not come out of Covid-19 and enter into another crisis".

Serious antibiotic-resistant infections "will rise once again if we don't act responsibly", she added.

"As we head into winter, with increasing amounts of respiratory infections in circulation, it is important to remember that antibiotics are not needed for many cold-like symptoms.

"Stay at home if you feel unwell," she said.

"Taking antibiotics when you do not need them only puts you and your loved ones at more risk in the future, so please listen to your GP, nurse, dentist or pharmacist's advice."

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Source: BBC News, 17 November 2021