New Study Underscores Urgent Need for New Antibiotics
Those are more deaths annually than those from either HIV or malaria. This new data underscores the already-grim danger that antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose, a threat that public health and national security experts have sounded the alarm over for years, and highlights the urgent need for action.
Also of concern, additional data indicates the superbug threat has escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a significant increase in health care-associated infections in 2020, many of which were caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). And, Pew’s own research has shown high rates of antibiotic use among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, which may have accelerated the emergence and spread of superbugs.