Papers of the Week

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used to control pain and fever. However, their effect on COVID-19 infected patients has not been fully studied. In this study, we investigated the effect of the duration of NSAIDs use on COVID-19 infection and clinical outcomes. In South Korea, 25,739 eligible patients who received COVID-19 testing between 1 January and 31 July 2020, were included in this retrospective observational cohort analysis. Based on the date of the first COVID-19 test for each patient, NSAID prescription dates were used to separate patients into two groups (short-term group: <2 weeks; long-term group: 8-12 weeks). COVID-19 infectivity and clinical outcomes were analyzed. We used the propensity score-matching (PSM) method. Of the 580 patients who had taken NSAIDs before the date of COVID-19 test, 534 and 46 patients were grouped in the short- and long-term NSAID-use groups, respectively. We did not find a statistically significant increased risk of COVID-19 infection (adjustment for age and sex, = 0.413; adjustment for age, sex, region of residence, comorbidity, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and current use of medication, = 0.259) or change in clinical outcomes, including conventional oxygen therapy, admission of intensive care unit, artificial ventilation, or death, between the two groups in which the PSM method was applied. The duration of NSAIDs use did not have a statistically significant effect on COVID-19 infectivity or clinical outcomes. However, further studies looking at clinical presentation and laboratory test results in a large number of people should be performed.