No Evidence to Back COVID-19 Ibuprofen Concerns

Q: Does ibuprofen make COVID-19 worse?

A: There is no evidence that ibuprofen or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can make COVID-19 cases more severe. You should consult your doctor before changing medications.

FULL QUESTION

Is it true that using ibuprofen has been shown to worsen symptoms of Coronavirus?

I’m getting warning that Advil makes coronavirus condition worse in affected patients. Patients should only take Tylenol. Is there any evidence this is true?

Is it unsafe to use ibuprofen in the current outbreak of Covid-19 virus? Some state that it magnifies the symptoms of the virus by 10-fold?!

FULL ANSWER

Many readers have written in to ask whether ibuprofen or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, can worsen COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Other NSAIDs include over-the-counter painkillers such as naproxen (Aleve) as well as prescription-only pills such as celecoxib (Celebrex), which is used to treat arthritis.

The idea has been circulating on social media and also has been promoted to some degree by a few national governments. While there are some good reasons for certain patients to avoid NSAIDs generally, there is no evidence that ibuprofen — which is sold under the brand name Advil — or other