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COVID-19

COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on Antimicrobial Resistance Studied in New Research

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers at the University of Bath have conducted a comprehensive study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in clinical settings. The study used wastewater-based epidemiology to evaluate community-wide AMR in four contrasting communities in England between April 2020 and March 2022. The findings suggest that the pandemic led to a reduction in antibiotic consumption and AMR prevalence during lockdowns, but this decrease was likely due to reduced social interactions rather than reduced antibiotic prescribing.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study collected 590 wastewater samples from four contrasting communities in England between April 2020 and March 2022 to test for antibiotics used, their metabolites, and persistent antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs).
  • The research found that population-normalized daily intake and daily prescriptions showed an increase of 17.2% and 5.8%, respectively, in 2021 to 2022, compared to the previous pandemic year.
  • Of the 17 antibiotics targeted, amoxicillin and clarithromycin were clearly affected by COVID-19 restrictions during the years 2020 to 2021, with an average reduction of 31.5% and 41.2%, respectively.
  • The study concluded that better, more holistic strategies encompassing the One Health philosophy are needed to understand and act upon the AMR challenge.
  • The research emphasizes the importance of considering the complex relationships between human, animal, and environmental health in addressing AMR.

Statistics:

  • 590 wastewater samples were collected from four contrasting communities in England between April 2020 and March 2022.
  • Population-normalized daily intake showed an increase of 17.2% in 2021 to 2022, compared to the previous pandemic year.
  • Daily prescriptions showed an increase of 5.8% in 2021 to 2022, compared to the previous pandemic year.
  • Amoxicillin and clarithromycin showed an average reduction of 31.5% and 41.2%, respectively, due to COVID-19 restrictions during the years 2020 to 2021.

Sources:

  • [1] Building bridges to operationalize One Health - A longitudinal two years' AMR study in England using clinical and wastewater-based surveillance approaches. Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance, 2025,43():256-263. Doi: 10.1016/j.jgar.2025.05.005.
  • [2] NewsRx LLC. University of Bath Researchers Publish New Data on COVID-19. Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA. June 22, 2025; p 248.
  • [3] University of Bath. Department of Chemistry. Like Xu, Nicola Ceolotto, Kishore Jagadeesan, Richard Standerwick, Megan Robertson, Ruth Barden, Helen Lambert, Barbara Kasprzyk-Hordern.

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