LONDON (UK) – Aspirin, a drug commonly used as a blood thinner, will now be examined for a possible treatment for COVID-19 in what is considered one of UK’s biggest trials.
Patients infected by the coronavirus are at a higher risk of blood clots because of hyper-reactive platelets, which are the cell fragments that help stop bleeding. The RECOVERY trial’s website said on Friday that Aspirin is an antiplatelet agent and can reduce the risk of clots.
Peter Horby, co-chief investigator of the trial, said, “There is a clear rationale for believing that it (aspirin) might be beneficial, and it is safe, inexpensive and widely available.”
At least 2,000 patients are expected to be randomly get 150 mg of aspirin daily along with the usual regimen. The website showed data from those patients will be compared with at least 2,000 other patients who receive the standard-of-care on its own.
Other treatments being tested in the RECOVERY trial include common antibiotic azithromycin and Regeneron’s antibody cocktail used to treat US President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 symptoms.