Healthcare professionals also advised against taking leftover antibiotics or medication recommended by friends or family, saying each illness should be assessed individually by a medical professional.
As winter illnesses continue to spread across South Africa, healthcare professionals are reminding patients that antibiotics are ineffective against most seasonal viral infections and should only be used when medically necessary.
Doctors say many patients leave consultations disappointed when they are not prescribed antibiotics for symptoms such as sore throats, coughs, blocked noses and fatigue. However, they stress that withholding antibiotics is often the most appropriate course of treatment.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antimicrobial resistance is among the world's leading public health threats. Antibiotic-resistant infections were directly responsible for an estimated 1.27 million deaths globally in 2019 and contributed to nearly five million deaths overall. In South Africa, 8,485 deaths were directly attributed to antibiotic resistance in 2021.
"The misconception that antibiotics can treat every winter illness remains incredibly common," said Lance Blumeris, head of digital healthcare platform Unu Health.
