Open AccessCOVID-19 pandemic and antimicrobial resistance in developing countries
Author(s) -
Abdul Rehman Arshad,
Farhat Ijaz,
Mishal Shan Siddiqui,
Saad Khalid,
Abeer Fatima,
Rana Khurram Aftab
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
discoveries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2359-7232
DOI - 10.15190/d.2021.6
Subject(s) - pandemic , antibiotic resistance , developing country , antimicrobial , outbreak , resistance (ecology) , developed country , business , environmental health , multiple drug resistance , drug resistance , development economics , medicine , economic growth , biology , covid-19 , antibiotics , virology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , population , economics , microbiology and biotechnology , ecology , disease , pathology
A wide range of antimicrobial agents were touted as potential remedies during the COVID-19 pandemic. While both developed and developing countries have recorded an increase in the use of antimicrobial drugs, use and misuse have occurred to a far greater degree in developing countries. This can have deleterious consequences on antimicrobial resistance, especially when various developing countries have already reported the emergence of various drug-resistant organisms even before the pandemic. Telemedicine services, societal and cultural pressures, and bacterial co-infections can predispose to overwhelming antimicrobial prescriptions. The emergence of new multidrug resistance species is a major concern for the developing world especially since health services are already overburdened and lack the diagnostic capabilities and basic amenities for infection prevention and control. This can lead to outbreaks and the rampant spread of such microorganisms. Improper waste management and disposal from hospitals and communities establish freshwater runoffs as hubs of various microorganisms that can predispose to the rise of multidrug-resistant species. Microplastics' ability to act as vectors for antibiotic-resistant organisms is also particularly concerning for lower-middle-income countries. In this review, we aim to study the impact of antimicrobial use during the COVID-19 pandemic and antimicrobial resistance in lower middle-income countries, by understanding various determinants of resistance unique to the developing world and exploring solutions to combat the problem.