Abstract
Background: Ibuprofen disappeared off the pharmacy shelves during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a while later circulating information was that ibuprofen should be avoided as it could worsen COVID-19 symptoms. The aim of our study was to assess the association of NSAID acute and chronic use with worse COVID-19 outcomes.Methods: We did a prospective cohort study between April 12 and June 1, 2020. Adults consecutively diagnosed with COVID-19 were included. Information on NSAID use was collected through a telephone questionnaire and patients were followed up for COVID-19 infection outcomes, including death, admission, severity, time to clinical improvement, oxygen requirement, and length of stay.Findings: Ibuprofen acute use was not associated with a greater risk of mortality relative to nonusers (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0·632 [95% CI, 0·073- 5·441; P=0·6758]). NSIAD chronic use was also not associated with greater risk of mortality (adjusted HR, 0·492 [95% CI, 0·178 - 1·362; P= 0·1721]). Ibuprofen acute use was not associated with a higher risk of admission compared to non-NSAID users (adjusted odds ratio OR, 1·271; 95% CI, 0·548 - 2·953). NSAID users did not have a significantly longer time to clinical improvement, or length of stay.Interpretation: Ibuprofen and other NSAID acute or chronic use were not associated with worse COVID-19 disease outcomes. </jats:p
