French sources specifically mention severe cases of covid-19 in "young and healthy" patients (eg. see <a href="https://lefigaro.fr/sciences/coronavirus-alerte-sur-l-ibuprofene-et-autres-anti-inflammatoires-20200314" rel="nofollow">https://lefigaro.fr/sciences/coronavirus-alerte-sur-l-ibupro...</a> ) but this important piece of information has NOT been relayed by international medias.<p>Jean Paul Hamon, medical doctor and president of the Federation of French Doctors said on TV to NOT take NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory drugs) if #covid19 is suspected. The ONLY common point among young covid-19 patients they have witnessed in critical care centers in France was that they all took NSAIDs.
The actual title of this article is, "Are patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus at increased risk for COVID-19 infection?"<p>The relevant portion about ibuprofen, lightly edited to make it more readable, is:<p>> <i>Coronaviruses bind to their target cells through ACE2. The expression of ACE2 is substantially increased in patients with diabetes, who are treated with ACE inhibitors and ARBs. Hypertension is also treated with ACE inhibitors and ARBs, which results in an upregulation of ACE2. ACE2 can also be increased by thiazolidinediones and ibuprofen. These data suggest that ACE2 expression is increased in diabetes and treatment with ACE inhibitors and ARBs increases ACE2 expression. Consequently, the increased expression of ACE2 would facilitate infection with COVID-19. We therefore hypothesise that diabetes and hypertension treatment with ACE2-stimulating drugs increases the risk of developing severe and fatal COVID-19.</i><p>More broadly, they're saying that many of the medical notes of patients who died mentioned that the patients also had diabetes or hypertension, and they're wondering if the correlation is about the treatment for those conditions and not about the conditions themselves.<p>It's not clear to me whether they're implying that <i>anyone</i> who takes ibuprofen (e.g. for a headache or even for a COVID-19 fever) will have more ACE2 and therefore be more susceptible to severe and fatal COVID-19, or if that effect only happens in the context of treatment for diabetes and hypertension. I can see how you can read it in the first way, but it feels like they would have titled it clearer if that were what they were actually saying.<p>In particular, there is plenty of advice for people with mild COVID-19 cases to do the normal things they'd do to take care of a flu at home, including take ibuprofen. If that's a bad idea, I feel like they would have said that more loudly.<p>(For instance - does it matter whether you've got more ACE2 if you're <i>already</i> infected and trying to keep the symptoms under control?)<p>EDIT: Thanks to 'FeteCommuniste in another comment for linking this Twitter thread <a href="https://twitter.com/angie_rasmussen/status/1238946937916682241" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/angie_rasmussen/status/12389469379166822...</a> which points out that this is an un-peer-reviewed hypothesis.
After a couple of asthmatic attacks after taking aspirin and ibuprofen I went to an allergist and she told me that I have an allergic reaction to all NSAIDs.<p>The syndrome is called 'NSAIDs-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease'.<p>I felt equally proud and ashamed that the medical establishment officially diagnosed me as a NERD<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSAID_hypersensitivity_reactions" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSAID_hypersensitivity_reactio...</a>
I'm wondering if some of the downside of anti-inflammatories is that they often lower fevers. A fever is the body's natural response to infection, to raise the rate of chemical reactions and make more immune cells:<p><a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111101130200.htm" rel="nofollow">https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111101130200.h...</a><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4869589/" rel="nofollow">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4869589/</a><p>I also think that this is part of the mechanism that makes zinc effective against viruses as a catalyst.<p>Generally, I think that it's good to keep fevers down for non-lethal infections like the common cold, especially for children. Just beware that aspirin may cause Reye's syndrome in the young:<p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/headache-reyes-syndrome" rel="nofollow">https://www.healthline.com/health/headache-reyes-syndrome</a><p>But for serious infections like Covid-19, maybe it would be better to maintain a relatively safe temperature of say 101-102 F (38-39 C)? I'm honestly curious to know what doctors think of this.
From the article: "ACE2 can also be increased by thiazolidinediones and ibuprofen. These data suggest that ACE2 expression is increased in diabetes and treatment with ACE inhibitors and ARBs increases ACE2 expression. Consequently, the increased expression of ACE2 would facilitate infection with COVID-19. We therefore hypothesise that diabetes and hypertension treatment with ACE2-stimulating drugs increases the risk of developing severe and fatal COVID-19."
Ibuprofen, along with paracetamol, is generally considered very safe. All over the world they are prescribed for any kind of pain, fever, inflammation or discomfort. Of course, there are some known side effects, but they are generally considered minor.<p>Does it make sense that a virus would evolve to favour these conditions? Or is it just an unfortunate coincidence? I guess it depends on whether the virus being "worse" means it helps spread faster, or just compromises the host faster - after all, the virus doesn't gain from killing its host. Also, animals don't get treated with NSAIDs to the same degree, so if nCovid-19 came from a non-human host that's another argument for it being coincidence.
why is this keep popping up???<p><a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22582568" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22582568</a><p><a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22576721" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22576721</a><p>stop spamming this
Any information on cough suppressants? Whether they're a good or bad for people with COVID-19?<p>I've had my doctor recommend against cough suppressants in the past. But I've had trouble sleeping with a bad cough, and so if cough suppressants make sleep possible, it seems like a net-win. Is there any data yet?