2020-03-23_The_Big_Issue_UserUpload.Net

14 | BIGISSUE.COM 23-29 MARCH 2020

fact/fiction. Old news, truthfully retold

FACTS. CHECKED

Itisstillnotfullyunderstoodhowibuprofeninteracts
withCovid-19butwhatiscertainisthattheposts
circulatingonWhatsApparefake– andthathasbeen
partoftheconfusionoverwhethertousethedrugornot.
WeknowthattheCorkcaseinparticularis
“misinformation”becausetheInfectiousDiseaseSocietyof
Irelandhasconfirmedasmuch.In atweetitadvisedpeople
that:“This isafakemessage,pleaseignoreanddelete.”
Thisunderlinestheimportanceofensuringthatyouare
readingupdates, guidanceandadviceonthecoronavirus
fromreputablesourcessuchastheWorldHealth
Organisation andtheNHS.
TheNHS’sguidanceisthat“thereiscurrentlyno
strongevidencethatibuprofencan makecoronavirus
(Covid-19)worse”. However,theydoadvisepeopletotake
paracetamolforpainrelief,unlessitcontradictsdoctors’
advice.Similarly,ifyou arealreadytakingibuprofenor
anothernon-steroidanti-inflammatory (NSAID),you
shouldcontinueunlessyourdoctor advisesyoutostop.
Thisguidanceonlychangedlastweekfollowingdebate
onthesubject.
AccordingtoaBritishMedicalJournalblog,doubts
about ibuprofen came to light following French health

ministerOlivierVéran’s March 14 tweetsaying:“Taking

anti-inflammatorydrugs(ibuprofen,cortisone...)couldbe

an aggravatingfactor fortheinfection. Ifyou haveafever,

takeparacetamol.”

PlentyofBritishexpertssubscribedtothatschoolof

thought,includingDrCharlotteWarren-Gash,associate

professorofepidemiologyattheLondonSchoolofHygiene

andTropicalMedicine,whostressedmoreresearchis

neededbutsaid:“Itseemssensibletosticktoparacetamol

asafirstchoice.”

OnMarch17,thedaythattheUK’sguidancechanged,

thegovernment’schiefscientificadviserSirPatrick

VallancetoldtheHealthandSocialCareCommitteethat

thespeculation “may or may notberight,Idon’tknow. But

thesensiblethingtodoI thinkwouldbetosay,welldon’t

takeitatthemoment.Takesomethingelse,paracetamol

or something.”

SirPatrick’sviewsumsupthestateof play atthe

moment.Covid-19isnewtohumans,andscientistsare

hardatworktestingtreatmentsandworkingon avaccine.

Buttheimpactofmisinformationinthiscasestresses

theimportanceof followingofficial guidance as we all

continue to battle the virus.

Is it safe to take ibuprofen if you have coronavirus?

HOWITWASTOLD

Asscientiststheworldoverhavegrappledtogettogripswith
Covid-19,therehasscarcelybeenamorehotlydebatedquestion
ontreatmentthantheparacetamolversusibuprofendiscussion.
Evenasearly asJanuary,whentheinitialoutbreakwas stilllargely
confinedtoChina,theBBCreportedthat“ibuprofenisalsoavailable
for painrelief” initsown factfile,undertheheadline:“Coronavirus:
How arepatientstreated?”.
Sincethentherehasbeenconfusionaboutwhethertheanti-
inflammatory helpspeoplewiththevirus–or worsenssymptoms.
Viral postshavecirculatedhorrorstoriesthathavenothelped
matters. Several originatedon WhatsApp,whichlastweekpartnered
withWHOandUniceftosetupthe‘WhatsApp Coronavirus
Information Hub’, andhavebeenrepeatedon othersocialmedia
platforms.TheyincludeamemofromtheUniversityof Viennathat
warnsagainsttakingibuprofenbecauseit“increasesthespeedof
reproduction ofthecoronavirusCovid-19inthebody”aswellas
allegingthatthepainreliefwas behindthespreadofthevirusinItaly.
Anotherclaimsthat“four peopleareinvery critical cases”ina
universityhospitalinToulouse,France,duetotakingibuprofen.A
similarclaimwas alsomadeaboutan intensivecareunitinCorkin
theRepublicof Ireland.
UKnewspapershavealsobeenreportingontheissue,witha
story aboutayounggirl whoreactedbadlytoadoseof ibuprofen.
OriginallyreportedintheManchesterEveningNews, thestory
reachednationalparenttitletheDailyMirrorundertheheadline:
“Coronavirus:Stepdad’sibuprofenwarningafterdaughterwith
symptomsturns seriouslyill”. Itthen spread to a numberof
othertitles.
But where does the truth lie?
Illustration:Miles Cole

REPEATING

WORTH

Todate,thereisno

specificmedicine

recommendedto

preventortreatthe

newcoronavirus

Antibioticsdo

notworkagainst

viruses,only

bacteria

Thereisnoevidence

thatregularly

rinsingyournose

withsalineprotects

againstCovid-

infection(WHO

Mythbusters)