Antimicrobial drug resistance against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria and Europe: A profound review of the available literature sources

Abstract Improper use of antibiotics is an extremely worrying trend worldwide. This leads to the development of resistance to these drugs. As a result, antibiotics stop working and bacteria continue to grow. The highest levels of resistance, both in our country and worldwide, are to second and third-generation cephalosporins, some aminoglycosides, and others. The reason is that these antibiotics have been used most irrationally over the years. The pandemic of COVID-19 and Antimicrobial drug resistance (AMR) are parallel and interrelated serious health situations, between which there is a causal link, manifested in high mortality among the human population. This review highlights relations between growth rates of antimicrobial resistance and the Covid-19 pandemic situations in Bulgaria and Europe in this fast-growing research area.