From the very beginning, antibiotics were regularly prescribed at random, at every convenient and inconvenient occasion, which led to the emergence of more resistant species of bacteria. With each new mutation, scientists manage to fight off the blow by developing new antibiotics, but this cannot last forever. So the question of the futility of antibiotics in the future is not a “if” but a “when”. What will happen to the world when antibiotics disappear? Nothing good.
We will not be able to effectively deal with infections
Before the invention of penicillin, pneumonia killed 30% of patients, but now no more than 5%. Meningitis, tuberculosis, Lyme disease, and a host of other less serious infections will become truly scary when the main weapon to fight them disappears. Even if we find new medicines, the recovery time will increase many times over.
Tattoos will go out of style
If the tattoo is applied according to the rules, the chances of getting an infection with it are negligible, but they are still not zero. In the event of a neglect, the odds increase dramatically and the infection must be treated. Than? That's right, antibiotics. You can google "tattoo infection", but believe me - the sight is extremely unpleasant. With antibiotics disappearing, far fewer people will be willing to take risks.
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The number of cosmetic surgeries will decrease dramatically
For the same reason as with tattoos. People who change their appearance are injected with antibiotics before the operation, after it, and are obliged to take them for another two weeks after. And still, about 4% of patients are infected. With a tenfold increase in this chance, the number of people who want to enlarge their breasts or change the shape of the nose will disappear.
Many will become vegetarians
The problem is that antibiotics aren't just needed for humans. In the United States alone, about 7,000 tons of antibiotics are consumed per year on cattle, including as preventive measures and for additional weight gain. Antibiotics will disappear - the number of livestock will go down sharply, as will its size. Meat will skyrocket in price, besides becoming more dangerous - the same Salmonella is transmitted through contaminated meat.
The fight against cancer will stop
All the main methods we use against cancer today - surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy - are highly likely to lead to infections. Without antibiotics, a weakened body will almost certainly not be able to cope with them. The fight against cancer as we know it will disappear, and no one knows what will come to replace it.
Organ transplant will stop
And in general any complex surgical operations. Without antibiotics, the chances of “grafting” a transplanted organ without an infection will tend to zero, as the immune system will continue to attack it even with the most favorable outcome.
The number of deaths after accidents will increase
The infection can be picked up even after being bitten by a domestic cat or cut with a knife in the kitchen. What to say about accidents, industrial incidents, injuries in combat conditions? Perhaps the laws on the safety of citizens, especially children, will change.
Condom sales will skyrocket
Many sexually transmitted infections will also become significantly more deadly. For example, there is already an antibiotic-resistant strain of gonorrhea, H041, discovered in 2011. Although he has not killed anyone yet, the chance of dying from septic shock when receiving such a "gift" is very high. Output? In a world without antibiotics, condoms will become more popular.
Childbirth will become much more dangerous
Before the discovery of penicillin, about 500 out of 100 thousand women died after childbirth as a result of an infection. It seems that this number is small, but today, for example, in the United States, for the same reason, only 12 women out of 100 thousand die. Antibiotics will disappear, and we will return to the old risks.
The economy will collapse
The new era of superbugs will have a huge impact on the global economy, and not at all with a plus sign. It will bring poverty to about 28 million people, world GDP could fall by 3.4%, which is comparable to the 2008 crisis. By 2050, experts predict more people will die from antibiotic-resistant bacteria than from cancer.
Sergey Evtushenko