The world is yet to get a traditional medicine for the treatment of patients diagnosed with Covid-19 infection. There have been debates going on in different quarters over the use of NSAIDs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. According to a new study, drugs like ibuprofen are safe during Covid. It does not raise the risk of Covid related death. It is also not linked to severe disease in those admitted to hospital with Covid-19. The study by ISARIC CCP-UK involved more than 72,000 people in the UK. Researchers said that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines are treatments for acute pain. It is also used in rheumatological diseases. It has been observed that the drug gives relief to patients exponentially.
During the early stage of the pandemic, there was a discussion on the use of NSAIDs during the increased Covid-19 severity. There was a rise in demand for ibuprofen that called for an urgent investigation. The study concluded that continued use of NSAIDs during Covid-19 infection is safe and it also doesn’t raise the risk of death. The findings said that around 30.4 percent of the patients who had taken NSAIDs before hospitalization due to Covid succumbed infection. This rate was almost similar with 31.3 percent of those who had not taken such drugs. However, it was observed that the death rate was not increased in patients with the rheumatological disease who took NSAIDs.
The study said that those who took NSAIDs were less likely to be admitted to critical care due to Covid-19. It found that they also don’t require invasive or non-invasive ventilation or need oxygen support. The findings provide reassurance that NSAIDs can be used the way doctors and patients used them before the pandemic struck the world. ISARIC CCP-UK researchers collected data on the medication patients and made a detailed analysis. The study, however, said that clinical trials are required to know if NSAIDs are safe in different populations with Covid-19. It noted that there is no evidence available based on the study of 72,000 people’s data on prescribed medication that ibuprofen worsens Covid-19.
