Frequent and diverse use of antibiotics may be associated with developing more severe outcomes after a COVID-19 infection, including death, a study led by University of Manchester scientists has shown.
The findings, funded by Health Data Research UK and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is published in eClinical medicine, act as a warning against the overuse of antibiotics in people.
The team, which also included researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Leeds, were the first to explore how the severity of COVID-19 disease is affected by prior antibiotic use.
The research found that Patients with more frequent antibiotic exposure in the past three years were at higher odds of experiencing severe COVID-19 outcomes, including hospital admission and 30-day mortality.
Using a range of antibiotics was more likely to be associated with COVID-19 hospital admission while the odds for hospitalised patients dying from COVID-19 related complications in most frequent antibiotics exposure group were 1.34 higher than patients without prior antibiotic exposure.
Co-principal investigator Professor Tjeerd van Staa from The University of Manchester said: “Our study has provided evidence that patients with high prior antibiotic use were more likely to experience severe COVID-19 outcomes, including hospital admission and even death.
“In addition, we also found an association between the number of different prior antibiotic types and COVID-19 related hospital admission.
“One potential explanation may be that frequent antibiotic use increases the likelihood of patients being infected with viruses or bacteria, leading to increased susceptibility to adverse consequences of infection.
“The literature also shows that antibiotic treatment might also alter gut microbiota, which can impact metabolic and immune function.
“While in most situations, gut microbiota will recover after stopping an antibiotic course, frequent antibiotic use may affect the resilience of gut microbiomes more seriously.”
