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Aspirin does not improve survival for hospitalised COVID-19 patients, study finds

Anti-inflammatory drug aspirin does not improve survival for hospitalised COVID-19 patients, a study has found.

The RECOVERY trial assessed the effects of aspirin among nearly 15,000 hospitalised COVID-19 patients. A total of 7,351 received 150 mg aspirin once daily, with results compared against 7,541 patients who received standard care alone.

Patients with COVID-19 are at increased risk of blood clots forming in their blood vessels, particularly in the lungs. It was hoped that aspirin may help reduce blood clotting and therefore improve lung function and patient outcomes in severe cases of COVID-19.

The researchers found no evidence that aspirin treatment reduced mortality in hospitalised patients with COVID-19.

More than 1,350 people have participated in the study in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire.

The study has had a significant impact on the worldwide treatment of the virus.

In June 2020, dexamethasone, a commonly used steroid, was the first drug shown to improve survival for hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

In February 2021, the trial reported that anti-inflammatory treatment tocilizumab reduces the risk of death.

It also helped researchers discover which treatments were of no clinical benefit, with azithromycin, colchicine, convalescent plasma, hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir-ritonavir ruled out as potential treatments.

Read more at the NIHR website