Aspirin Could Be A Game Changer In Reducing Death Rates In COVID-19 Patients

Aspirin can be used to help alleviate pain and swelling, prevent blood clots from forming, and treat coronary events such as heart attack and stroke, according to Medical News Today. A new study published on March 24 in the journal JAMA Network Open suggests that aspirin can also help minimize the risk of death in hospitalized patients who are more seriously impacted by COVID-19.

Upon studying over 112,000 of these patients across 64 health centers in the United States, researchers at George Washington University found that people who received aspirin within the first 24 hours of being hospitalized for COVID-19 had a 1.6% lower risk of death than those who did not receive aspirin. Lead researcher Dr. Jonathan Chow, an associate professor at GW's School of Medicine, told Health Day that the findings are the result of 15 months of work and it is the third study involving the use of aspirin for treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Several treatments have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating hospitalized patients who are suffering from more severe cases of COVID-19.

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), the antiviral drug Remdesivir, also known as Veklury, was the first drug approved by the FDA for patients 12 years of age and older. Remdesivir is known for preventing SARS-CoV-2 from spreading throughout the body. The FDA also approved Actemra, a monoclonal antibody that is used to treat various inflammatory diseases and is believed to also be effective for treating COVID-19. Convalescent plasma is one treatment used that provides antibodies that fight COVID-19 and curtail inflammation. Barticitinib and corticosteroids are also known for reducing inflammation.

The HHS emphasizes the importance of participating in studies to test vaccine treatments. They encourage people of all backgrounds to find a clinical trial to be part of in order to help ensure treatments and vaccines are effective for all populations.