There had been lots of questions about which medications to take and which to avoid for someone diagnosed with coronavirus. We are giving general information about some of the medications and their association with coronavirus, for medical advise please speak with your primary care physician.

Do chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine treat COVID-19? They disable the COVID-19 virus in the laboratory by preventing the virus from getting into the cell and from multiplying there (1, 2, 3). Chloroquine is recommended for use in several countries based on preliminary studies (4), primarily done in China. Hydroxychloroquine reduced detection of  COVID19 in upper respiratory tract specimens compared with a non-randomized control group in a French study (5). Neither of these medications are currently approved for COVID19 treatment in the US, but some physicians do use them off label. These medications are generally used to treat malaria. Their side effects include cardiac rhythm problems at times.

What’s Remdesivir? New investigational IV drug, supposed to stop virus replication. Still under research.

Do blood pressure meds increase risk of COVID19 pneumonia? Medications like lisinopril (belongs to a class of medications called ACE inhibitors) or losartan (belongs to a class called ARBs) in animal but not in human studies show increased presentation of virus attachment sites in virus similar to COVID19. American Heart Association does not recommend stopping these medications on your own. If you have concerns please discuss with your cardiologist. Stopping this medication on your own may cause stroke or heart attack.

Ibuprofen safe with COVID19? Observational study reports that some COVID-19 patients taking NSAIDs (e.g. Ibuprofen which is sold as Motrin , or Adil) for fever or muscle pain control ended up developing pneumonia. Data is weak, but try Tylenol first.

At Steady Strides: Fall Prevention and Stroke Rehabilitation Medical Institute we provide a comprehensive medical evaluation for our patients based on principles of biomechanics to properly diagnose and manage risk of falls in older adults. We work closely with our expert physical and occupational therapy team to help provide excellent outcomes to our patients. Go to www.steadystridesmd.com to learn more or call (443) 898-8160 to schedule in person or telemedicine (video conference from your home via our secure system) evaluation with our team.

References: 1 Cell Res. 2020 Mar;30(3):269-271; 2. Antimicrob Agents. 2020 Mar 4:105932; 3. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Mar 9; 4. Biosci Trends. 2020 Mar 16;14(1):72-73; 5. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. In Press.

General Sources: https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus-resource-center and the CDS