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Taking ibuprofen (Advil or Mortrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) to treat pain or fever won't increase the risk of getting COVID-19 or worsen the symptoms, the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases said.
The confusion over brand-name painkillers began after France’s minister of Solidarity and Health tweeted that ibuprofren and cortisone “could be an aggravating factor” in COVID-19 infection.
That kind of social media alert -- with no research to back it up -- spreads quicker than the virus itself.
Before you knew it, people around the world were sharing posts and tweets of "victims" purportedly contracting coronavirus from taking anti-inflammatory medications. The University of Vienna even issued a memo claiming "this is the reason why people in Italy have reached the current bad stage and rapid spread."
All totally bogus.
Experts have stepped in to separate fact from fiction.
Both ibuprofen and paracetamol can bring a temperature down and help mitigate flu-like symptoms when necessary. They’re not for everyone, though, and can cause side effects, particularly for those with asthma or heart and circulatory problems.
Anyone who's already taking prescribed ibuprofen or another non-steroidal anti-inflammatory for any reason should check with his or her doctor first before stopping, the experts say.
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