Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, often abbreviated as NSAIDs, reduce pain, fever, and inflammation. The two best known are aspirin and ibuprofen.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) “does not advise against the use of NSAIDs”.
- French health professionals are campaigning for a reassessment of the instructions for prescribing NSAIDs.
- The two best known NSAIDs are aspirin and ibuprofen.
“NSAIDs (ibuprofen, aspirin, etc.) could aggravate SARS-Cov-2 infection”. This message launched last March by the French health authorities led to the virtual cessation of the use of NSAIDs, prescribed for pain and fever. Several specialists are now calling for a reassessment of these prescription instructions, in view of various studies published on the issue.
Open the debate
“All of the data available today opens the debate: the hypotheses of an increased risk of infection by SARSCov-2 and aggravation of infection by NSAIDs must be reassessed”, explained in a press conference Professor Nicholas Moore, former head of the clinical pharmacology department at the University of Bordeaux. He is pointing out that “These drugs should be used at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time. There is currently no reason for patients taking NSAIDs to discontinue their treatment, which is particularly important for patients who are taking NSAIDs for chronic conditions”.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has indicated that it has no “no knowledge of scientific data that would link the use of NSAIDs with an aggravation of symptoms of Covid-19”. Same story with the World Health Organization (WHO), which, “based on currently available information, does not advise against the use of NSAIDs”.
Consider all treatment options
For the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), “When choosing a drug to relieve fever or pain caused by Covid-19, patients and healthcare professionals should consider all treatment options, including acetaminophen and NSAIDs.”
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, often abbreviated as NSAIDs, are drugs with analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory properties. They reduce pain, fever and inflammation. The two best known NSAIDs are aspirin and ibuprofen.
.
