Should I Request Antibiotics for a Cold, Flu, or COVID “Just in Case”?

No.

References

[embed]The risk of prescribing antibiotics "just-in-case" there is infection The habit of prescribing antibiotics "just-in-case" there is infection is based on the misguided perception that…www.sciencedirect.com

[embed]A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of antibiotic consumption on antibiotic… Background Greater use of antibiotics during the past 50 years has exerted selective pressure on susceptible bacteria…link.springer.com

[embed]Outpatient antibiotic use in Europe and association with resistance: a cross-national database… These data might provide a useful method for assessing public-health strategies that aim to reduce antibiotic use and…www.thelancet.com

[embed]Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescriptions Among Ambulatory Care Visits, 2010-2011 This pharmacoepidemiology study estimates the rate of outpatient, oral antibiotic prescribing by age and diagnosis in…jamanetwork.com

[embed]Antibiotic consumption and link to resistance Antibiotic use in the treatment of respiratory tract infections is common in primary care. The European Surveillance of…www.clinicalmicrobiologyandinfection.org

[embed]Controlling the Emergence and Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance Combat AR through infection prevention, improved antibiotic/antifungal use, actions to slow spread.www.cdc.gov

+all their citations