Previous studies have reported an overuse of antibiotics among hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Is it true that previous studies have reported an overuse of antibiotics among hospitalized COVID-19 patients?
Yes. Multiple studies and systematic reviews consistently demonstrate that antibiotic prescribing rates among hospitalized COVID-19 patients significantly outpace the actual prevalence of confirmed bacterial co-infections.
Verdict: SUPPORTED · 6 sources for, 0 against · Last checked
The claim asserts that previous studies have reported an overuse of antibiotics among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Multiple retrieved papers (such as [0], [1], [4], [7], [8], and [11]) explicitly document high rates of antibiotic administration paired with low rates of confirmed bacterial co-infection, supporting the conclusion of antibiotic overuse. There are no papers refuting this finding.
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May, S., Veillette, J., Webb, B. J., Stenehjem, E., Throneberry, S. K., Gelman, S., Pirozzi, M., Stanfield, V., Waters, C., Grisel, N. A., & Vento, T. J. (2023). Effect of tele-COVID rounds and a tele-stewardship intervention on antibiotic use in COVID-19 patients admitted to 17 small community hospitals.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1002/jhm.13118
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Pandak, N., Sidairi, H. A., Al-Zakwani, I., Balushi, Z. Y. A., Chhetri, S., Ba'Omar, M., Lawati, S. A., Al-Abri, S., & Khamis, F. (2023). The Outcome of Antibiotic Overuse before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12121665
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Gillon, J., Garguilo, K., LeBlanc, K., & Banerjee, R. (2022). 240. Antibiotic Overuse Among Children with COVID-19 Hospitalized in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofac492.318
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Elatris, A. H. A., Mustafa, R., Jose, J., Khamis, F., & Pandak, N. (2025). Antibiotic Use Among Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 Infection (SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant) in Oman: A Single-center Retrospective Study.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2025.53
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Costales, J., Lee, H. S., Quan, K., Madey, K. M., McArthur, K., Gohil, S., Huang, S. S., Forthal, D., & Park, S. (2021). 306. Association of Antibiotic Use and Development Secondary Infection from Clostridium difficile, Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria, and Candida in Hospitalized Patients with History of COVID-19. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofab466.508
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FC, L., O, R., AM, M., A, S., MI, S., N, W., A, R., C, O., M, C., A, T., A, B., & M, M. (2026). Antibiotic Use, Bacterial Co-Infection, and Antimicrobial Resistance in Adults Hospitalized with COVID-19, Influenza, or RSV: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15070654
What does the evidence say?
The claim asserts that previous studies have reported an overuse of antibiotics among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Multiple retrieved papers (such as [0], [1], [4], [7], [8], and [11]) explicitly document high rates of antibiotic administration paired with low rates of confirmed bacterial co-infection, supporting the conclusion of antibiotic overuse. There are no papers refuting this finding.
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