WHO backpedals on Ibuprofen warning for suspected COVID-19 cases

The World Health Organisation withdrew its warning that people who suspect they might have caught the novel Coronavirus should not take the popular drug Ibuprofen.
The UN agency clarified on Thursday that it is not aware of published scientific data on this topic.
The WHO added that it had not seen any reports about negative effects from doctors who treat patients suffering from COVID-19, the respiratory disease that is caused by the Coronavirus.
“At present, based on currently available information, WHO does not recommend against the use of ibuprofen,” it said in a statement, while pointing out that patients should be aware of the drug’s known side effects.
On Tuesday, a WHO spokesman had said people who think they might have been infected should not take the anti-inflammatory drug without consulting a doctor.
A recent article in The Lancet medical journal put forward the untested hypothesis that some drugs, including Ibuprofen, might pose a risk for COVID-19 patients who also suffer from high blood pressure or diabetes.
dpa/NAN.