The emerging antimicrobial resistance crisis during the COVID-19 surge in China.

The antimicrobial resistance crisis has been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, under its zero-COVID policy, China had a decline in antibiotic consumption,2 because the intensive non-pharmaceutical interventions aimed at controlling COVID-19 also prevented the spread of other airborne diseases and their subsequent infections. China also tightened drug selling to treat COVID-19-related symptoms as part of its zero-COVID efforts, which contributed to lessened self-medication with antibiotics. Therefore, antimicrobial resistance has not been seen as an urgent issue, at least until China relaxed its zero-COVID policy in early December, 2022. The current surge of SARS-CoV-2 infections across China will lead to an increase in the use of antibiotics, which will exacerbate the irrational use of antibiotics seen before the COVID-19 era.