Report85% of Americans Concerned About Superbugs
The online survey of 1,000 likely U.S. voters from the Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease found that voters are deeply worried about the growing threat of antibiotic resistance—and that fear remains urgent in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Most respondents (77%) were familiar with the general concept of superbugs, and after hearing some basic background information, 85% said they are very or somewhat concerned about antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Of that total, 45% said they were very concerned. In addition, nearly 6 in 10 (58%) said they feel the current level of new antibiotics research is too low. Moreover, the analysis of the survey suggests that “COVID-19 has not taken urgency away from the issue” of AMR, and that “voters see the two as linked, not competing issues.”
The survey findings come as major pharmaceutical companies have largely abandoned antibiotic development in favor of more profitable drugs. With thousands of American lives at stake and voters ready for action, now is the time to bolster U.S. efforts to fight antibiotic resistance.
