January 17, 2023
One Health Trust researchers conducted an observational, ecological study to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antibiotic prescribing in the United States between February and December 2020. The total number of antibiotic prescriptions dropped by 26 percent as compared to the same period in the previous three years, with the most significant decline being prescriptions in children. While COVID-19 prevention measures such as facemasks and school closures were associated with lower prescribing among children, there was a positive correlation between COVID-19 cases and antibiotic prescribing in adults, implicating behavioral norms as drivers of prescribing practices.
Find the article in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, here.
