The active ingredient in aspirin can probably ward off a severe course of Covid-19

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For months, doctors and other scientists have been looking for drugs that could help cure Covid-19, until now without any groundbreaking success.

Even the “Solidarity” study launched by the WHO on several drugs already approved for other diseases has not had sensational results so far for Covid-19.

Now researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) in Baltimore may have found a drug that can stave off the severe courses of Covid-19 – and one that many people have had at home for years.

The blood thinning effects of ASA help with Covid-19

As reported by the “Deutsches Ärzteblatt”, the study by the American research group led by Jonathan Chow indicates that the world-famous painkiller aspirin could help in the treatment of Covid-19.

The active ingredient in aspirin acetylsalicylic acid, or ASA for short, has a pain-relieving, blood-thinning and anti-inflammatory effect. Primarily due to its blood-thinning effect, ASA is said to protect against cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction, stroke and thrombosis in small doses and is administered prophylactically to patients with corresponding prior diseases.

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As the study published in the British journal “Anesthesia & Analgesia” suggests, this long-term intake of aspirin could have a positive effect on the course of Covid-19.

Because with severe courses there are often complications due to blood clots, which are often blamed for the patient’s death, according to the “Ärzteblatt”.

The fluidifying effect of aspirin could therefore aid in the treatment of Covid-19 patients by preventing blood clots, said Michael A. Mazzeffi, Professor of Anesthesiology at UMSOM and co-author of the study, in the university’s press release. of Maryland School of Medicine says.

Half risk of death by taking aspirin

Scientists came to this conclusion after evaluating the medical records of more than 400 patients with Covid-19, with an average age of 55, who had been hospitalized in recent months due to complications following their infection.

Almost a quarter of the patients treated had received a low daily dose of aspirin (about 81 milligrams – a normal headache tablet contains 500 milligrams) before being hospitalized or soon after.

As part of the observational study, the scientists found that taking aspirin regularly reduced the risk of dying from Covid-19 in the hospital by nearly half.

Furthermore, the risk of being connected to a ventilator was 44% lower and the risk of being admitted to the intensive care unit was 43% lower.

Confirmation from control studies required

SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach commented positively on the study on Twitter, but pointed out that a randomized trial was needed for confirmation, as reported by the “t-online” news portal.

This also coincides with the evaluation of the study authors themselves, who pointed out that for the moment it was only a critical result that had to be confirmed by a randomized clinical trial.

“If our findings were confirmed, aspirin would be the first widely available over-the-counter drug that reduces the mortality of patients with Covid-19,” said study head Jonathan Chow, according to a press release from the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

According to “t-online”, doctors advise against taking painkillers as a precautionary measure. After all, it is still unclear how great the effect of the drug is and whether preventive use can be useful, especially for people with no previous heart disease.

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