Antibiotics are not used to treat or cure COVID-19, but they can treat bacterial infections that can happen as a result of complications from the COVID-19 virus. Viruses and bacterial infections cause different types of illnesses, and antibiotics are only effective in treating bacterial infections, not viruses like COVID-19. Antibiotics should not be taken as a way to prevent or treat COVID-19 and they should not be taken unless prescribed by a doctor. Sometimes, antibiotics might be used in patients with COVID-19 but only to treat secondary bacterial infections.

Antibiotics are antibacterial medications that either slow down or destroy the growth of bacteria. They are used to treat infections that are caused by bacteria. (More information on the differences between viruses and bacteria can be found in the additional resources section.) The COVID-19 disease is caused by an infection with a virus, not a bacteria. COVID-19 is a disease that is a type of coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that cause diseases such as the common cold, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Because viruses and bacteria are different, the illnesses that they cause cannot be treated by the same type of medication. Antibiotics cannot be used to treat viral infections like COVID-19.