Purpose. To assess the challenges of COVID-19 and the risks of developing antibiotic resistance.

Material and methods. The subject and object of this study was the copying of data on the use of antimicrobials from 396 outpatient observation cards and 467 case histories of patients in hospitals for the period from 2019-2021.

Results: Over the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the facts increased: over-the-counter antibiotics (A) from 80.7 to 100%. More than 94% of patients with COVID-19, from the first days, received A, including combined AMT (32.4%) and parenteral third-generation cephalosporins on an outpatient basis (96%), 43% of patients with COVID-19 received 2 and more AMP courses. During the period of COVID-19, the use of azithromycin increased by 4.2 times (23.8 to 100%), ceftriaxone - by 3.8 times (25.0 to 94.4%), inhibitor-protected penicillins - by 2 times (from 12.5 up to 25%). More than 75% of people with COVID-19 infection did not have clinical and laboratory justification for the use of A.

Conclusion: The challenges of COVID-19 revealed problems in the literacy of the population and the culture of unsystematic self-treatment, reflected a tribute to the traditions of medicine - prevention of activation of a bacterial infection and showed the lack of innovative approaches to identifying bacterial pathogens, complicated course of COVID-19