Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 21 March 2020
Health agencies: No

evidence ibuprofen

worsens coronavirus

LONDON (AP) — The World also weighed in, stating
Health Organization and that it was not aware of
other leading agencies any evidence that taking
say there is no evidence to a non-steroidal anti-inflam-
support the suggestion that matory drug like ibupro-
ibuprofen might worsen the fen could be harmful for
symptoms of COVID-19. people infected with the
WHO said earlier this week new coronavirus. Ibupro-
that it did a quick review fen is sold under the brand
and found no published re- names Advin, Motrin, Nuro-
search or data on the issue. fen and others.
It also checked with doc- The agencies were re-
tors treating coronavirus sponding to a tweet last
patients. weekend from France's
The U.N. health agency said health minister, who said
it was "not aware of reports people who think they
of any negative effects have COVID-19 should not This Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017 photo shows tablets of ibuprofen in New York.
of ibuprofen, beyond the take ibuprofen. Olivier Ve- Associated Press
usual known side effects." It ran suggested those with
added that it was not rec- a fever take paracetamol, and cortisone could poten- up traction on social media COVID-19 was raised in a
ommending against using also known as acetamin- tially worsen a coronavirus but was quickly questioned letter published earlier this
ibuprofen for the treatment ophen and sold under infection and that patients by major health agencies month in the journal Lan-
of fever in people with CO- names such as Panadol, should consult their doctor and regulators. The po- cet, where doctors theo-
VID-19. Calpol, and Tylenol. if they were already taking tential link between non- rized that those drugs might
On Thursday, the U.S. Food Veran said anti-inflamma- the drug. steroidal anti-inflammatory make it easier for the coro-
and Drug Administration tory drugs like ibuprofen The warning soon picked drugs like ibuprofen and navirus to infect cells.q
Continued from front this, federal contracting dozens of doctors, nurses
Some hospitals are down to data shows there was no and medical staff who
just a day or two of person- big effort at that point to have contracted the virus.
al protective equipment, submit orders. Nurses across the country
she said. Trade policies haven't report that they are not re-
The AP found that in the helped. Tariffs on medical ceiving the proper person-
past month, hand sanitizer supplies made them more al protective equipment
and swab imports both expensive, and they were and their hospitals don't
dropped by 40%, N95 mask only lifted March 5, even have the isolation rooms
imports were down 55%, though health care asso- they need to safely care
and surgical gowns, typi- ciations asked the adminis- for COVID-19 patients, ac-
cally sourced from China, tration last year to exempt cording to National Nurses
were at near normal levels items like masks, gloves and United, the largest union of
because the sourcing was gowns. And now countries registered nurses in the U.S.
shifted to Honduras. including South Korea, In- In this Tuesday, March 17, 2020, photo hand sanitizer and clean- "It's not safe at all. Nobody
er wipes sit in a cart as Des Moines Area Religious Council food
Typically, medical supplies dia and Taiwan are block- pantry worker Patrick Minor passes out food at a senior center is safe," said Consuelo Var-
are delivered along both ing exports of medical sup- in Des Moines, Iowa. gas, an emergency room
coasts. But almost all the plies to save them for their Associated Press nurse at Cook County Hos-
supplies that did arrive in own citizens, leaving the pital in Chicago. On Friday
the past month came into U.S. with fewer options. enough personal protec- cal thermometers arrived morning, after a possible
Newark, New Jersey, across "The lag time could be tive equipment," said Dr. at U.S. ports a year ago this exposure at work, she went
the country from the earli- weeks. It could be upward David Tan, president of the month. But in the last 30 to a local hardware store
est and most severe coro- of months," said Khatereh National Association of EMS days, there were just five. and bought all the painter
navirus outbreaks. Calleja, CEO of the Health- Physicians. Hand sanitizer, also com- booties and jumpsuits they
The AP identified the falling care Supply Chain Associa- The decline in swabs in- monly sourced from Chi- had to wear while caring
imports by looking at ship- tion. cluded multiple varieties, na, has disappeared from for people.
ment data maintained by Doctors, nurses and first not just ones needed to U.S. stores, and it may stay "It's so frustrating because
ImportGenius and Panjiva responders in the U.S. are test for COVID-19. The Cen- scarce. Last year by this we feel like health care
Inc., services that indepen- resorting to spraying their ters for Disease Control and time, 223 shipments had ar- workers are being asked for
dently track global trade. masks with bleach at the Prevention has for weeks rived. This year, since Janu- a lot — and that's fine, we
In mid-February, the World end of each day and hang- warned state and local ary, just 157 shipments have can do our job. We're just
Health Organization ing them up at home to dry health departments about come. asking for the equipment
warned that global de- to use for another day, ac- shortages of swabs, which The shortages affect pa- we need," she said.
mand for safety gear for cording to the American are needed for the testing tients because they can't The shortage doesn't af-
medical providers was 100 College of Emergency Phy- that is critical to containing get tested and their provid- fect only health care. The
times higher than normal. sicians. the pandemic. ers may be carrying the vi- humanitarian medical firm
Prices were 20 times higher, "There is a little bit of anxi- Even over-the-counter rus from one person to the Direct Relief thought it was
stockpiles were depleted ety, as you can imagine, medical shipments are next. But the far greater risk heading into 2020 well-
and there was a four- to going to work and not decreasing. Ten shipping is to medical personnel: Al- stocked, with several mil-
six-month backlog. Despite knowing if you will have containers filled with medi- ready, there are reports of lion N95 masks. q