TOKYO: Nearly 60 per cent of people erroneously believe that antibiotics are effective in treating a cold, Xinhua quoted a local media report Sunday.
In an online survey of 500 people, roughly 56 per cent said antibiotics can cure a cold, while nearly 67 per cent of parents with preschool children said they believe the drugs can fight viruses, Kyodo News reported.
In a separate survey, about 63 per cent of people, aged 15 and older, said they believe antibiotics can cure viral infections, the report added.
Both the common cold and influenza are viral infections, meaning antibiotics are ineffective treatments. The same is true of a sore throat or runny nose, according to the National Centre for Global Health and Medicine in Tokyo.
Influenza, colds and COVID-19 are the top three viruses many respondents thought antibiotics could treat, the hospital said.
Medical experts warned that the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials can increase antimicrobial resistance, making infections harder or impossible to combat.
The Japanese government has said it is concerned about antimicrobial resistance, which is widely considered a “silent pandemic” among medical professionals.-Bernama-Xinhua
