Just received a whatsapp message from a friend asking about this particular #covid19 rumor. It’s still shocking to me, how hard it is to provide good information to people and how fast bad information spreads. This particular rumor appears to have spread widely in Germany.
To be clear the voice message I got appears to be deliberate #fakenews (delivered in a friendly, concerned tone of voice). But there have been rumors before about a link between ibuprofen and #covid19 and the source may be this letter in the Lancet thelancet.com/journals/lanre…
That letter looked at why diabetes patients and those with hypertension were particularly at risk from #covid19. It argued that it MIGHT be because some of these patients are treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.
These drugs have been shown in some studies to lead to an increase in ACE2, the receptor that #SARSCoV2 uses to enter cells. „We therefore HYPOTHESISE that diabetes and hypertension treatment with ACE2-stimulating drugs increases the risk of developing severe and fatal COVID-19.“
The paper notes that „ACE2 can also be increased by thiazolidinediones and ibuprofen“. That may be at the root of that #fakenews voice message. (Paper gives no reference for this sentence by the way, I will try to find out how good the evidence for that is later.)
Point is: We are facing a new virus that we are just learning about. There won’t be a lot of fast, clear answers. There will be many hypotheses in the coming weeks, some of them will turn out to be right, many won‘t. Be cautious. Don‘t jump to conclusions.
We are watching science as it happens. The uncertainty is frustrating (but honestly I also find it fascinating, even thrilling, this is why I became a science journalist). For now we have a vague hypothesis and no evidence. Wait and see. And instead of fretting: Wash your hands.
The European Society of Cardiology put put a statement saying „This speculation about the safety of ACE-i or ARB treatment in relation to COVID-19 does not have a sound scientific basis or evidence to support it.“ escardio.org/Councils/Counc…
They „strongly recommend physicians and patients should continue treatment with their usual anti-hypertensive therapy because there is no clinical or scientific evidence to suggest that treatment with ACEi or ARBs should be discontinued because of the Covid-19 infection.“
Wholeheartedly agree with both points here from @julienpotet: We need more studies. And: It’s complicated.
And here is a really great explainer setting out the science around #covid19 and ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers. But like I said: „We have more questions than answers right now“. nephjc.com/news/covidace2 h/t @EricTopol
