The World Health Organization on Tuesday said that people with COVID-19 must avoid taking Ibuprofen for self-medication, NHK reported.
WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told reporters that while there is no strong evidence that suggests that the drug that can worsen the effect of the virus, they are probing into the matter to give further guidance.
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“In the meantime, we recommend using paracetamol and do not use ibuprofen as a self-medication. That’s important,” he said.
On March 15, a French health official said that the anti-inflammatory drug may aggravate the effect of the virus.
“If you have a fever, take paracetamol. If you are already on anti-inflammatory drugs or if you are in doubt, ask your doctor for advice,” he tweeted.
A recent study published in the medical journal The Lancet concluded that anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen can boost an enzyme that could facilitate and aggravate COVID-19 infections.
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