Janet Ogundepo Clinical microbiologists have warned that using antibiotics to treat the common cold, which is caused by viruses, could lead to antimicrobial resistance. They asserted that antibiotics were not effective for the treatment of viral illnesses, stating that their irrational use, along with antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial drugs, could result in the development of drug resistance, rendering treatments ineffective. The experts advocated proper diagnosis and stressed that antibiotics should only be used with a doctor’s prescription.
According to a health blog, Vaccination Matters, antibiotics are ineffective in the treatment of viruses. Cleveland Clinic states that antibiotics were medicines used to treat infections caused by bacteria. It further noted that the common cold is caused by viruses, and antibiotics were ineffective against colds.
PUNCH Heathwise reports that an over-the-counter antibiotic, Amoxil is usually taken by Nigerians to treat persistent colds. Antimicrobial resistance, the World Health Organisation notes is when bacteria viruses, fungi, and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death. This is caused by the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals, and plants.
The WHO also states that AMR is the top global public health and development threat and is directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths globally .