Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute Reports Findings in COVID-19 (Association between long COVID and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use by patients with acute-phase COVID-19: A nationwide Korea National Health Insurance Service …): Coronavirus – COVID-19

2024 NOV 28 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at NewsRx COVID-19 Daily -- New research on Coronavirus - COVID-19 is the subject of a report. According to news originating from Seoul, South Korea, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Long coronavirus disease (COVID) poses a significant burden following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Debate persists regarding the impact of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) administration during acute-phase COVID-19 on the development of long COVID.”

Financial support for this research came from Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine.

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, “Hence, this study aimed to assess the potential association between NSAID use and long COVID using data from patients with COVID-19 in Korea’s National Health Insurance Service. This nested case-control study defined the study cohort as patients diagnosed with COVID-19 for the first time between 2020 and 2021. The primary exposure investigated was NSAID prescriptions within 14 days of the initial COVID-19 diagnosis. We used propensity score matching to create three control patients matched to each patient in the NSAID exposure group. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated after the adjustment for demographics, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and existing comorbidities. Among the 225,458 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, we analyzed data from 254 with long COVID. The adjusted OR (aOR) for NSAID exposure during acute-phase COVID-19 was higher in long COVID cases versus controls (aOR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.00-3.19), suggesting a potential relationship. However, a sensitivity analysis revealed that the increased odds of NSAID exposure in the acute phase became statistically non-significant (aOR, 1.64; 95% CI, 0.90-2.99) when COVID-19 self-quarantine duration was included as a covariate. Additionally, acetaminophen exposure was not significantly associated (aOR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.75-1.68), while antiviral drugs demonstrated a stronger association (aOR, 3.75; 95% CI, 1.66-8.48). Although this study suggests a possible link between NSAID use in the acute COVID-19 infection stage and a higher risk of long COVID as well as both NSAID and acetaminophen use during the chronic COVID-19 period and a lower risk of long COVID, the association was not statistically significant.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Further research is needed to determine the causal relationship between the various treatment options for acute COVID-19 and the development of long COVID.”

For more information on this research see: Association between long COVID and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use by patients with acute-phase COVID-19: A nationwide Korea National Health Insurance Service cohort study. PLOS ONE, 2024;19(11). PLOS ONE can be contacted at: Public Library Science, 1160 Battery Street, Ste 100, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA. (Public Library of Science - www.plos.org; PLOS ONE - www.plosone.org)

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from Heejun Kim, Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul, South Korea. Additional authors for this research include Ye-Seul Lee, Sunoh Kwon and Tae-Hun Kim.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312530. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

The publisher’s contact information for the journal PLOS ONE is: Public Library Science, 1160 Battery Street, Ste 100, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA.

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