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Covid-19 pandemic tied to antibiotic resistance in pneumonia bacterium

A modelling study suggests that the proportion of cases involving pneumonia-causing bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics has increased amid the covid-19 pandemic

By Carissa Wong

16 February 2023

In severe cases, Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria can cause pneumonia and serious blood infections

In severe cases, the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause pneumonia and serious blood infections

Kiyoshi Takahase Segundo/Alamy

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria may have become more of an issue amid the covid-19 pandemic. While a modelling study suggests that Europe’s various lockdowns resulted in a decline in cases of a pneumonia-causing bacterium from 2019 to 2020, the proportion of cases that were resistant to antibiotics increased.

People with covid-19 may be at a greater risk of bacterial infections because fighting off viruses hinders the immune system’s ability to tackle invading bacteria. Confirmed or even …

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