The coronavirus pandemic is paving the way for an increase in deadly superbugs, a scientist has warned.
Ronan McCarthy, a lecturer in Biomedical Sciences at Brunel University London, has warned that there could be a surge in antibiotic resistance following the pandemic.
Writing for The Conversation, he explained: “The COVID-19 pandemic has led to huge numbers of people with compromised immune systems being admitted to hospitals, which are a known breeding ground for drug-resistant bacteria.
“Because of this influx, these hospital-associated bacteria will now have a much wider potential target group.”
According to Mr McCarthy, emerging evidence suggests that many coronavirus patients are being diagnosed with secondary infections while in hospital.
He said: “The source and specific nature of these infections are yet to be fully explored, but there is some evidence that multidrug-resistant bacteria are among the germs causing these secondary infections.”
As a result, many coronavirus patients are given antibiotics, despite the fact that they won’t treat the virus itself.
Mr McCarthy said: “This rapid increase in antibiotic use, particularly in hospitals, will apply a strong selective pressure on bacteria to evolve resistance.
"This will probably contribute to an increase in the incidence of drug-resistant infections in the months and years after the pandemic is over.”
While hundreds of antibiotic drugs are currently being tested in animals, only a few will make it to the market, according to Mr McCarthy.
He added: “Hopefully the response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be used as a blueprint in global cooperation to tackle the antibiotic resistance crisis, a threat that has the potential to cripple our healthcare systems and medicine as we know it.”
