The World Health Organization (WHO) which oficially recommended on March 17 that ibuprofen should not be taken by people suffering from COVID-19 has now retracted its statement and confirmed that the drug is indeed safe for patients.

For our comprehensive coverage and latest updates on COVID-19 click here.

The initial statement about ibuprofen being unsafe had come after French officials issued a warning that an enzyme boosted by the anti-inflammatory drug, could worsen the effect of the coronavirus. WHO had instead recommended paracetamol for self-medication while they looked into the matter before offering formal guidance.

However, on March 18, WHO confirmed once again that it does not recommend against the use of ibuprofen due to lack of any published data being available to support the claim that the drug may negatively affect COVID-19 patients. WHO further elaborated on its statement that its officials are in touch with physicians treating COVID-19 patients and there has been no report of any other side effects than what has already been reported on the drug.