Taking anti-inflammatory drugs “Could be an aggravating factor of the infection” in people with Covid-19 (the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2), warned on Saturday March 14 the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, on his Twitter account.

“Taking anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, cortisone, etc.) could be a factor in worsening the infection. If you have a fever, take paracetamol. If you are already on anti-inflammatory drugs or in doubt, ask your doctor for advice », said the Minister in his message.

Read also Update on the coronavirus in France: more than 800 new infections and an “accelerating spread”

Possible complications

Ibuprofen, sold under this name and various trade names (such as Advil and Nurofen), is part of the family of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), drugs that can worsen already existing infections, with large possible complications. Several doctors have cited cases of young patients with Covid-19 and without comorbidities who find themselves in serious condition after taking ibuprofen for their fever.

Read also Coronavirus: from the first cases to Macron’s announcements, the main stages in the evolution of the epidemic in France

For this reason, NSAIDs are no longer sold self-service in French pharmacies since January 15, 2020, after a warning from the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM). The same is true for medicines containing paracetamol (Doliprane, Efferalgan, etc.) which, when taken in too high doses, can itself cause serious liver damage, sometimes fatal.

“We are at the start of an unknown virus epidemic”

While millions of French will go to the polls Sunday to elect their mayor, the latest report released Friday evening by the Minister of Health revealed nearly 800 new infections and 18 additional deaths in twenty-four hours, illustrating the acceleration so feared by the authorities.

“We are at the start of an epidemic of an unknown virus”, warned the Minister. “It is progressing, it was expected. There is still time to strictly and scrupulously modify our behavior in order to protect ourselves individually and collectively ”, he recommended.

Our selection of articles on the coronavirus