(CNN) France’s health ministry has suggested that popular anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen could worsen the effects of the coronavirus, raising questions over which over-the-counter drugs people should be taking to treat the symptoms of the disease.
Health Minister Olivier Veran, who has also worked as a neurologist, tweeted on Saturday that “taking anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, cortisone…) could be an aggravating factor of the infection. If you have a fever, take paracetamol. If you are already on anti-inflammatory drugs or in doubt, ask your doctor for advice.”
His suggestion was criticized by some health experts, who cited the lack of publicly available evidence suggesting a link between ibuprofen and adverse effects of the coronavirus. There is currently no published scientific evidence that the virus is worsened by ibuprofen.
Nonetheless, Veran’s recommendation came on the same day that the French government reported that “grave adverse effects” linked to the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) — the family of drugs that includes ibuprofen — have “been identified with patients affected by Covid-19, in potential or confirmed cases.”
Full article at: CNN
