What the Science Really Says About Ibuprofen and Coronavirus
A claim made by France’s health minister is causing confusion, but U.S. doctors say the risk is minimal
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A tweet from France’s minister of health has divided scientists and doctors across the Atlantic. Olivier Véran, writing in French, tweeted on Saturday: “Taking anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, cortisone…) could be an aggravating factor of the infection [Covid-19]. If you have a fever, take paracetamol. If you are already on anti-inflammatory drugs or in doubt, ask your doctor for advice.”
American doctors were flummoxed by part of the French minister’s statement. Steroids, such as cortisone, are known immune suppressors, so this advice was unsurprising. But ibuprofen — the primary ingredient in over-the-counter painkillers such as Advil and Motrin — is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and has not been shown to significantly affect the body’s immune response. There’s also no solid research to back up the claim.
“As far as I’m aware, there’ve never been any studies to show that chronic NSAID use has anything to do with suppressing the immune system,” says Andrew White, MD, an immunologist at Scripps Health in San…
