Don't take ibuprofen. That was the advice tweeted by France's health minister, Olivier Veran, a couple of days ago. Veran, who also happens to be a qualified doctor, wrote: "Anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen, cortisone …) could aggravate the infection. If you have a fever, take paracetamol."
The infection he was speaking about was, of course, COVID-19, the coronavirus that is sparking fear and panic all around the globe. He also added that if you take this type of anti-inflammatory drug regularly, you should seek the advice of a doctor.
Anti-inflammatories are important drugs that are used by millions of people around the world to help treat pain, different types of arthritis, headaches, sore throats and colds.
So why should we suddenly be cautious about using them?
Despite all of their beneficial effects, it has long been known that anti-inflammatories can have a depressive effect on parts of our immune systems.
When it comes to taking them to help ease the symptoms of the common cold, we do not really have to worry about this slight but important reduction in the strength of our immune systems: We are very unlikely to develop complications from the common cold, let alone die from it.
But we need our immune system in top working order in order to battle the coronavirus and win.