Antibiotic prescribing and bacterial infection in COVID-19 inpatients in Southeast Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The prescribing of antibiotics to treat COVID-19 patients has been observed to occur frequently, often without clear justification. This trend raises concerns that it may have exacerbated antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Despite longstanding concerns over AMR in Southeast Asian countries, data on this issue are notably lacking.