Can Antibiotics Treat Coronavirus?

As the coronavirus continues to spread and the number of patients increases rapidly worldwide, people are asking if there is already a cure. Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment yet. There is still ongoing research on various drugs and vaccines with the hope that the solution will be found soon.

Although there is no specific cure yet for the said illness, the good news is that the symptoms can be managed, and that is how over 900 thousand patients have recovered.

What Are Antibiotics?

Antibiotics are drugs that are used to treat infections.

Antibiotics are low-cost antibiotics that are commonly used to treat bacterial infections. Recent laboratory investigations, however, discovered that several antibiotics reduced the development of some viruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2.

One antibiotic, azithromycin, has been explored as a possible therapy for COVID-19 because it lowered viral activity and inflammation in laboratory studies. Before providing antibiotics for COVID-19, we need to have excellent proof since overuse or abuse of antibiotics can lead to ‘antimicrobial resistance,’ which occurs when the organisms that cause infection evolve and drugs cease functioning.

Are Antibiotics Effective in Treating Coronavirus Disease?

There have been a lot of speculations about the possible cure and treatment for COVID-19. One of which is the use of antibiotics. Many patients are hoping that the doctors would prescribe them one. Are they effective, though?

The World Health Organization (WHO) and healthcare professionals clarified that antibiotics CANNOT treat or prevent coronavirus, or any viruses for that matter because this type of medication is designed to tackle only bacteria. With that said, there is no way it would work to treat viral infections. People have to understand that virus is different from bacteria, and so the treatment for each is definitely not the same.

Azithromycin is an antibiotic that scientists are now researching as a potential COVID-19 therapy option. Anti-inflammatory properties of azithromycin may assist to suppress an excessive immune response to COVID-19.

In test tube research, it was discovered that azithromycin can be effective against the Zika and Ebola viruses.

In children with viral infections, azithromycin is also useful in avoiding serious bacterial respiratory tract infections.

The effects of combining hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial medicine, with azithromycin are being studied by researchers.

In test tube tests, hydroxychloroquine was discovered to exhibit anti-SARS-CoV activity by ResearchTrusted Source.

A small-scale investigation was conducted.

The effects of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin on persons undergoing hospital treatment for COVID-19 in France were studied by Trusted Source.

The results demonstrated that hydroxychloroquine lowered the viral load or completely eradicated the coronavirus. The addition of azithromycin to hydroxychloroquine improved its efficacy.

Treatment with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, on the other hand, did not enhance outcomes and increased the risk of cardiac arrest, according to research published by the American College of Cardiology. The research looked at 1,438 participants in New York who were undergoing COVID-19 therapy in a hospital. All of the individuals had the same age, race, and time of therapy initiation.

Since then, the FDA has withdrawn hydroxycholoroquine’s emergency use authorisation, thus consumers and clinicians should no longer use it to treat COVID-19.

Why Do Doctors Prescribe Antibiotics

A respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus can damage the immune system. This effect may raise the chance of bacterial infection, which the individual may find more difficult to overcome.

Antibiotics may be prescribed to COVID-19 patients to prevent or treat secondary bacterial illnesses such as bacterial pneumonia. Antibiotics may be used as part of the treatment to combat the illness.

There are currently no medications licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of COVID-19. COVID-19 symptoms and sequelae are the focus of current therapy, which vary according on the severity of each case.

People may be able to treat COVID-19 using home treatments for minor symptoms. These can include the following:

Getting enough sleep
Drink lots of water to remain hydrated
Take fever and pain relievers such acetaminophen as needed.
Keep track of symptoms and call a doctor if they get worse.

The following are some of the current therapy options for COVID-19 patients in hospitals:

IV fluids to avoid dehydration
Oxygen if patients are having trouble breathing
Treating any consequences, such as pneumonia
Antiviral medication remdesivir for COVID-19 emergency cases

Researchers are also investigating a variety of currently available medications as potential therapies. The following drugs are among them:

Medications to treat autoimmune diseases
Anti-malarial drugs
Antibodies from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19
Large dosages of intravenous vitamin C
Antiviral medications that are effective against other viruses
Convalescent plasma employing antibodies from people who have recovered from COVID-19

More testing and trials will be conducted to see if any of these solutions are viable COVID-19 therapy options.

Understanding Antibiotics

Patients tend to assume that if they have flu or any other related infections that antibiotics would be the solution. But the thing is, not all infections are caused by a virus. Some of them are due to bacteria too. For this reason, testing needs to be done. The patient has to undergo several examinations or lab tests in order for the doctor to determine the actual cause of the health condition and to avoid prescribing inappropriate medications, particularly antibiotics.

In the case of COVID-19, though, it is a viral infection and, therefore, using antibiotics would be useless.
What Are the Effects of Improper Use of Antibiotics?

For people who have the coronavirus disease, using antibiotics will not help at all. Aside from it is a waste of time, effort, and resources, it can also worsen antibiotic resistance.

Understanding Bacteria

As bacteria are exposed to the drug, they find an incredible way to protect themselves against the medication. This then results in bugs that are very hard to treat – just like the coronavirus, which is affecting millions of people all over the world these days.

Furthermore, when bacteria and viruses combine, these pathogens could cause deadly illnesses. As the viral infection takes its toll on the immune system, the other organs of the human body get affected too, leading to more complications. And while that is happening, the body gets more susceptible to bacterial infections, which can make the condition even worse and fatal.

Symptoms You Need To Know

COVID-19 symptoms might occur 2–14 days after exposure to the novel coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The following are examples of symptoms:

Fever or chills with cough
Trouble breathing fatigue shortness of breath
Pains in the body or muscular aches
Headaches olfactory loss
Flavor deterioration
Clogged or runny nose painful throat
Nausea
Vomiting Diarrhea

If people experience severe symptoms or if their symptoms worsen, they should see a doctor. If you have any of the following symptoms, you should get medical help right away:

Chest discomfort or pressure that makes it difficult to breathe
Blue hue to lips or cheeks New state of disorientation impossible to stay awake or awaken

Call 911 and tell the operator that the person may be suffering from COVID-19 symptoms.

Focus On The Facts

The Food and Drug Administration in the United States has been striving to remove deceptive items from shop shelves and online stores. Meanwhile, keep in mind that testimonials aren’t a replacement for scientific data. In addition, only a few disorders can be cured fast, so avoid hasty remedies. A miracle treatment including a hidden component is almost always a fake.

Consult your doctor if you have a query regarding a way for treating COVID-19 or preventing infection with the virus. You can contact your local pharmacist or the FDA’s Division of Drug Information if you have a question regarding a COVID-19 drug.

After healing from COVID-19, experts are unsure how long someone is protected from being ill again. Natural immunity refers to the immunity gained as a result of an illness. Natural immunity, according to some early research, may not persist long enough and differs from person to person depending on their viral response.

In comparison to someone who is completely vaccinated, people who are unvaccinated and infected with COVID are more than twice as likely to develop COVID again, according to CDC research.

If you’ve already been infected, the FDA recommends waiting 90 days after your first illness before getting the vaccination.

COVID-19 poses serious health hazards to people of all ages, and because re-infection with COVID-19 is conceivable, you should consider receiving a COVID-19 vaccination even if you’ve previously been sick with COVID-19. It’s also unclear if reinfections are linked to post-COVID symptoms, commonly referred to as “Long COVID.”

Vaccine Facts

COVID-19 immunizations provide protection against severe COVID-19 sickness, but vaccination does not ensure that a person will not get infected. Fully vaccinated persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past, and they have become sick as a result.

Vaccinated persons, on the other hand, frequently have milder instances of COVID-19, lowering their chance of being hospitalized or dying. Unvaccinated persons make up the bulk of those who are hospitalized and die from COVID-19 nowadays.

There are many theories about the vaccine possibly changing your DNA. Messenger ribonucleic acid, or mRNA, gives your body instructions on how to produce a protein or even a fragment of a protein. The genetic composition, or DNA, of a person, cannot be altered or modified by mRNA.

COVID-19 vaccine mRNA never reaches the nucleus of the cell, which is where our DNA is stored. COVID-19 vaccinations that employ mRNA, on the other hand, cooperate with the body’s natural defenses to create safe protection (immunity) against the disease.

Because the vaccinations do not contain live viruses, those who have been vaccinated cannot test positive for COVID-19. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 has been exposed to the virus in some way.

After getting vaccinated, you can test positive for COVID-19 antibodies directed against the “spike protein,” which are different from the antibody test and antigen used to test positive for sickness. The presence of antibodies indicates that you are immune to the virus.

Some vaccination clinical trial participants reported adverse effects comparable to those seen with previous vaccines, such as muscular discomfort, cold, and headache. People can also experience severe adverse responses to vaccination components, though this is exceedingly unusual. That’s why specialists advise against getting the vaccine if you’ve had a history of severe allergic responses to the vaccine’s components, such as anaphylaxis.

People’s reactions to COVID-19 are unpredictable, even if they aren’t aware that they have high-risk diseases. Vaccination protects not only you but also others close to you and those who are unable to receive vaccinations. Survival rates don’t tell the whole story. Just because someone did not die with COVID-19 does not imply they will not be affected long-term or that they will not pass it to someone who will get really ill or die.

The vaccination functions similarly to a seatbelt. Even if you don’t believe you’ll be in an accident, it’s a good idea to wear a helmet just in case. After immunization, your odds of contracting COVID-19 are much reduced, as are your chances of being critically ill or experiencing problems. This is due to the fact that your immune system is prepared and ready to combat the virus before it can do significant harm.

The Final Verdict

We’ve seen the impact of this virus worldwide, with many people losing their lives or becoming infected from it. With this in mind, you should never take antibiotics unless it is prescribed by a healthcare professional. You have to undergo some lab tests to find out if what you are experiencing is caused by bacteria or viruses.

COVID-19 or coronavirus disease, as the term suggests is a viral infection. Antibiotics are specifically designed to kill bacteria and not viruses. Therefore, they cannot be used as a treatment for this particular illness.

The single most important thing that you can do is to take the optimal precautions, whether that’s staying home, isolating yourself from people and places where you could come in contact with contaminated droplets, along with wearing a mask.