Empiric azithromycin alters the upper respiratory microbiome and resistome without anti-inflammatory benefit in COVID-19

March 17, 2026

Nature Microbiology, Published online: 16 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02285-8Longitudinal metatranscriptomics in a prospective cohort of 1,164 adults hospitalized for COVID-19 reveals that azithromycin offered no apparent anti-inflammatory benefit but enriched the respiratory microbiome with …