The impacts of New Zealand’s COVID-19 epidemic response on community antibiotic use and hospitalisation for pneumonia, peritonsillar abscess and rheumatic fever

There was a 36% reduction in total community antibiotic dispensing in Aotearoa during the seven weeks in 2020 that Aotearoa was at Covid alert level 3 or 4. Hospital admissions for pneumonia, peritonsillar abscess and rheumatic fever did not increase.