A recent study released in the Journal of Virology has demonstrated that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may diminish antibody and inflammatory responses to the recent strains linked to COVID-19.
Published by the American Society for Microbiology, researchers caution the implications of NSAID use when patients are infected with COVID-19.
According to researchers, NSAIDs can be beneficial at the early stage of the disease. However, at the later stages, during cytokine storm, the use of such commonly used drugs could lead to risky complications.
The new study used a mouse model to examine this new association.
From the ASM study: “We demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 infection upregulates COX-2 in diverse human cell culture and mouse systems. However, suppression of COX-2 by two commonly used NSAIDs, ibuprofen and meloxicam, had no effect on ACE2 expression, viral entry, or viral replication.”
“Our findings indicate that NSAID treatment may influence COVID-19 outcomes by dampening the inflammatory response and production of protective antibodies rather than modifying susceptibility to infection or viral replication.”
The study was authored by Jennifer S. Chen, Mia Madel Alfajaro, Ryan D. Chow, Jin Wei, Renata B. Filler, Stephanie C. Eisenbarth, and Craig B. Wilen.
