Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Could Make COVID-19 Symptoms Worse, Warns France's Health Minister

According to French Health Minister Olivier Veran, consumers shouldn't be rushing out to buy anti-inflammatory drugs in the hopes of minimizing the possible symptoms of COVID-19. Veran said that drugs like ibuprofen and cortisone could be "aggravating factors" and make the symptoms of the illness even worse. Popular NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) include aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen.

Veran suggested using acetaminophen (aka, Tylenol) -- which is not an NSAID -- to treat fevers. However, there are no specific recommendations from the World Health Organization yet as to which medicines to take to treat COVID-19 or its symptoms. The WHO has noted that taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen "may mask symptoms of infection."

France has more than 5,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Monday and over 120 deaths. It has been one of the hardest-hit countries in Europe, although Spain has more cases with over 7,700, and Italy has close to 25,000 cases.

Source Fool.com