Advice on Specific Medications re: Covid
Rescue Packs
Antibiotics do not work against Covid-19. If due to your asthma or COPD you have frequent flare-ups and you usually keep a rescue pack in the house you are able to request one. This should be used in your usual way.
Anti-Inflammatories
These are medications such as ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac/voltarol, indomethacin, meloxicam, ketoprofen (these are all Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs), some of which can either be bought over the counter or be prescribed for you.
You may have seen reports in the media saying these medications cause worse outcomes should you develop COVID-19. Although the evidence is not clear-cut, there does seem to be a theoretical risk that your immune response to the Coronavirus may be dampened by these medications. They can also put additional strain on your kidneys when you are unwell, particularly if you are not eating or drinking as much as usual. These medications have other side effects too, which is why, unless absolutely necessary for symptom control, they should ideally not be taken regularly.
As a precaution, we would advise patients taking these medications regularly to try to reduce taking them to the minimum amount that controls their symptoms.
Should you become unwell for any reason including having a high temperature and/ or cough, or diarrhoea and vomiting, please stop your NSAID for the duration of feeling unwell.
Paracetamol, taken at doses within the recommended daily amount, is a safe option for taking for your symptoms when you feel unwell.
ACE inhibitors & ARBs
One of the commonest concerns at the moment is from people taking medications called ACE Inhibitors (e.g. Ramipril, Lisinopril, Perindopril, Enalapril, Captopril) or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (e.g. Candesartan, Olmesartan, Valsartan) and worse outcomes from Covid-19.
This is the official statement based on reviewing all the evidence we have from the European Society for Cardiology’s Council on Hypertension: “…we strongly recommend that 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 ACE-inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers should be discontinued because of the Covid-19 infection.”
Debunking headlines. This is a link to explaining the scientific facts behind the media headlines: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/behind-the-headlines/coronavirus
Ventolin / Salbutamol inhalers
You can request Ventolin / Salbutamol inhaler as usual if you have asthma or COPD. If you do not have either of these conditions then a Ventolin inhaler is of no use.