What’s in the news?

• A small study from India analysed the case for the use of indomethacin, a powerful anti-inflammatory drug, in low doses, for effective treatment of milder COVID-19 cases.

Observations made in the study

• Currently paracetamol is widely used for symptomatic treatment in COVID-19, but with poor results.
• Using indomethacin, a low-priced drug, in a small number of patients with COVID-19, including those classified as ‘high-risk’, the results were encouraging.
• Indomethacin is a powerful anti-inflammatory drug, one that gives relief even with low doses. The drug helps control the dry, persistent cough that is a common feature among COVID-19 patients.
• A 2006 article from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy, identified indomethacin as a potent inhibitor of coronavirus (SARS-CoV) replication and suggested that having both anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity, it could be beneficial in SARS therapy.