MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA / USA - APRIL 17, 2016: M Health, University of Minnesota, Masonic Children's Hospital buildings.


Antibiotic-resistant superbugs are on the rise, and an overuse of antibiotics in children due to the ongoing pandemic might be the cause.

A pediatric infectious disease physician at the University of Minnesota Medical School and M Health Fairview said there has been a spike in antibiotic-resistant infections at M Health Fairview's children's hospital, as well as at other children's hospitals throughout the country, reports 5 Eyewitness News in the Twin Cities. When antibiotics are used a lot, bacteria begin to adapt, making them more resistant to the substance.

According to 5 Eyewitness News, the doctor told reporters that when kids appear very ill, it's hard to tell at first if the issue is COVID-19 or a bacterial infection. Since there's no initial answer, clinicians will often give the sick kid antibiotics. As a result, the doctor believes COVID-19's existence has made antibiotic residence even more of a threat than it already was.

A pharmacist at Children's Minnesota told 5 Eyewitness News that over prescription of antibiotics is a real issue, even a global threat. If antibiotic-resistant infection continue to become more prevalent, patients could more often become infected with something that is untreatable.