In a recent study from George Washington University, over-the-the-counter aspirin was shown to stabilize the lungs of COVID-19 patients, reducing the need for mechanical ventilation.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the study looked at over 400 COVID patients from hospitals across the country who took aspirin for reasons unrelated to their COVID disease. The team of researchers found that aspirin reduced the likelihood of many endpoints, including mechanical ventilation, ICU hospitalizations, and total in-hospital deaths.
"As we learned about the connection between blood clots and COVID-19, we knew that aspirin - used to prevent stroke and heart attack - could be important for COVID-19 patients," said research team member Dr. Jonathan Chow. "Our research found an association between low-dose aspirin and decreased severity of COVID-19 and death."
Low-dose aspirin is often given to people who have had a heart attack or a myocardial infarction to treat blood clotting issues or reduce their stroke risk, the report said. ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome, is caused by blockages in the pulmonary blood system caused by the coronavirus, which targets the respiratory system.
"Aspirin is low cost, easily accessible and millions are already using it to treat their health conditions," explained Chow. "Finding this association is a huge win for those looking to reduce risk from some of the most devastating effects of COVID-19."
Israeli researchers from the Barzilai Medical Center in March conducted a pilot study where they found comparable outcomes. Apart from preventing blood clots, they discovered that aspirin had immunological advantages and that those who took it had a 29% lower risk of contracting the virus.
Between the first of February and the last day of June of 2020, researchers at the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) examined data from around 10,000 Israelis who had their COVID-19 levels checked.
To find out whether a modest dosage of aspirin may help prevent or treat cardiovascular disease, the researchers looked at people who consistently take it vs those who don't take it.
They observed that the first group had a 29% lower risk of contracting the virus than the other.
"This observation of the possible beneficial effect of low doses of aspirin on COVID-19 infection is preliminary but seems very promising," the study's lead author, Prof. Eli Magen of the Barzilai Medical Center, stated in a press statement.
Knowing its well-documented ability to boost the immune system's ability to combat certain viral infections, the researchers chose to test its potential against COVID-19.
According to their findings, those who took aspirin and then became sick recovered quicker than those who didn't, on average, by two or three days. Furthermore, these same individuals tested negative for the virus in a shorter period of time after first testing positive.
Thus, the doctors said that they want to pursue this matter further.
In this research, Dr. Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern of the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine at Bar-Ilan University aimed to better understand the possible beneficial benefits of aspirin in helping the human immune system's fight against COVID-19.
"We intend to investigate a larger cohort of patients and in randomized clinical trials," she said.
Medicines based on acetylsalicylic acid - the active ingredient in aspirin - have been used for years to relieve a variety of symptoms, including pain, fever, and inflammation. The pharmaceutical firm Bayer came up with the term in the late 1800s. Hence, Aspirin became a widely prescribed medication all over the world.
In addition to these two studies, The Blaze claimed that another comparable study has been conducted.
Medical Express reported earlier this month that experts from the University of Minnesota and Basel University in Switzerland had reached the same result.
The results, published in The Lancet's Open Access eClinical Medicine, showed that patients taking blood thinners prior to contracting COVID had lower hospitalization rates despite being older and having more chronic illnesses. Blood thinners, whether taken before or after COVID-19 infection, decreased mortality by almost half.
