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According to news reports, the Stratus or XFG strain is surging in the US, leading to sore throats and hoarseness in patients. Even though doctors say these strains are not fatal, many people pop in antibiotics after being detected with coronavirus. "This is a strong recommendation for patients with mild COVID-19 and a weaker or conditional one for patients with severe COVID-19," WHO noted. The recommendations are based on new evidence as well as changes in the disease's spread and severity. "Recommendations about the use of antibiotics in COVID-19 patients are based on a recent systematic review and meta-analysis and the pressing need to address antimicrobial resistance," said WHO. The updated guidelines are aimed at people directly or indirectly involved in the healthcare of patients with COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 conditions. This includes clinicians, allied healthcare workers, facility managers, and hospital administrators. In its note, WHO also said that there are two new recommendations about the use of antibiotics, which follow from a recent meta-analysis of outcomes in patients treated with antibiotics for COVID-19. "For patients with non-severe COVID-19 and a low clinical suspicion of a concurrent bacterial infection, we recommend no empirical antibiotics," it said. What are antibiotics used for? Antibiotics are prescribed to treat or prevent a few types of bacterial infections. While they are not effective against viral infections like the common cold or flu, doctors say these medicines should only be taken to treat health problems that are not serious but are unlikely to clear up without antibiotics, like acne. There are different types of antibiotics that work in unique ways. However, the two main types include:

• A bactericidal antibiotic, like penicillin, kills the bacteria. These drugs usually interfere with either the formation of the bacterial cell wall or its cell contents.
• A bacteriostatic stops bacteria from multiplying.

What is antibiotic resistance? According to experts, antibiotic resistance happens when germs do not respond to the antibiotic which is designed to kill them. Unnecessary prescriptions drive up the incidence of antibiotic resistance. Sometimes, prescriptions of the wrong medication or the wrong dosage also cause misuse of these medications. Some measures to combat antibiotic resistance include finishing the treatment course and not sharing antibiotic medications with others, even if they have the same symptoms. What infections do antibiotics treat? Doctors prescribe antibiotics mostly to treat bacterial infections, and they are not at all effective against viruses. Viruses lead to most upper respiratory tract infections, like the common cold and flu. Antibiotics do not work against these. Doctors can prescribe a broad-spectrum antibiotic to treat a wide range of infections. A narrow-spectrum antibiotic is only effective against a few types of bacteria. Some antibiotics attack aerobic bacteria, while others work against anaerobic bacteria. Aerobic bacteria need oxygen, and anaerobic bacteria do not.