Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, do not increase the severity of Covid-19 or its mortality.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs act against inflammation.
- They can be used to fight against fever, painful periods, or to relieve pain associated with tendinitis and inflammatory rheumatism.
- Since January 2020, they are no longer freely available in pharmacies, given the risks in the event of misuse.
“We now have evidence that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be used safely by patients with Covid-19.”said Pr Ewen Harrison, author of a study published in The Lancet Rheumatology. For more than a year, these drugs have been suspected of aggravating the infection.
In March 2020, the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, even recommended not to consume them in case of infection. “Taking anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen, cortisone, etc.) could be a factor in aggravating the infection“, he said on his twitter account. More than a year later, this study carried out by Scottish researchers provides proof that these drugs are not associated with a higher risk of severe form. Ewen Harrison points out that they are used”around the world” and in very different cases: “from mild pain to chronic pathologies such as osteoarthritis or cardiovascular diseases“. For many patients, they are necessary to perform daily activities.”When the pandemic hit over a year ago, we needed to be sure these very common drugs weren’t going to be an aggravating factor for people with Covid-19.“, he underlines.
Risk-free anti-inflammatories?
The authors of this study analyzed the cases of more than 72,000 British patients admitted to hospital following a Covid-19 infection. More than 4,000 had taken non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the two weeks preceding their admission to hospital. Among them, 30.4% died. “A rate similar to that of patients who did not take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs“, note the researchers. Among this group of patients, the mortality rate was 31.3%. Taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was not associated with a higher risk of admission to intensive care, artificial ventilation or oxygenation.
Results to be confirmed
Although this study is the largest on the subject, these results have some limitations. The search does not include patients who have not been hospitalized, and there is no information on the continuation of treatment with anti-inflammatories during hospitalization. Scientists also don’t know how long patients took these drugs. “Further studies are needed to confirm that these drugs have no impact in the event of Covid-19 infection”, say the researchers.
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