What you should know about paracetamol and COVID-19

What you should know about paracetamol and COVID-19. Get the facts.

What the experts are saying

World Health Organisation (WHO)

The WHO continue to include paracetamol within their essential package of palliative care for prevention and relief of pain or other physical suffering, acute or chronic, related to COVID-19.https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/clinical-management-of-covid-19

European Medicines Agency

“When starting treatment for fever or pain in COVID-19, patients and healthcare professionals should consider all available treatment options including paracetamol and NSAIDs. Each medicine has its own benefits and risks which are reflected in its product information and which should be considered along with EU national treatment guidelines, most of which recommend paracetamol as a first treatment option for fever or pain.”https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/ema-gives-advice-use-non-steroidal-anti-inflammatories-covid-19

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)

“Advise patients to take paracetamol or ibuprofen if they have fever and other symptoms that antipyretics would help treat.”https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng163/chapter/5-Managing-fever accessed 22 October 2020

Safe use of paracetamol and high-dose NSAID analgesia in dentistry during the COVID-19 pandemic, research paper

“Paracetamol should be the first analgesic that dentists  recommend…Paracetamol is a drug with an established safety profile at recommended doses.”https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32651512/

  • I have read on social media that taking paracetamol can worsen the outcome for patients with COVID-19. Is this true?

    The recent news circulating on social media is not substantiated with any reference or clinical evidence.GSK Consumer Healthcare is not aware of any clinical data to suggest that use of paracetamol may worsen the disease course or outcome in patients suffering with COVID-19. Based on the current body of evidence, paracetamol is suggested as an option to treat fever and pain associated with COVID-19.We would advise anyone using our products to always use medicines as directed in the product label and to use the lowest dose needed for the shortest period of time to control symptoms. People should never take more than one paracetamol-containing product at the same time. If in any doubt, a doctor or pharmacist should be consulted for advice.

  • Is paracetamol effective in treating COVID-19?

    No, paracetamol does not directly treat the underlying disease caused by the COVID-19 virus, however appropriate use of paracetamol is currently being recommended by public health authorities, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), as part of the symptomatic treatment of COVID-19.1Paracetamol is a well-established treatment for fever reduction and mild to moderate pain relief in adults and children over one month old*. It has been available for more than 60 years and is used by millions of patients worldwide.We would advise anyone using a paracetemol product to always use medicines as directed in the product label and to use the lowest dose needed for the shortest period of time to control symptoms. People should never take more than one paracetamol-containing product at the same time. If in any doubt, a doctor or pharmacist should be consulted for advice.

  • What advice does GSK Consumer Healthcare offer about safe use of products containing paracetamol for treating COVID-19?

    Paracetamol does not treat COVID-19 virus, however appropriate use of paracetamol is currently being recommended by public health authorities, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), as part of the symptomatic treatment of COVID-19 to reduce fever & help provide relief from mild to moderate pain.1We would advise anyone using our products to always use medicines as directed in the product label and to use the lowest dose needed for the shortest period of time to control symptoms. People should never take more than one paracetamol-containing product at the same time.If in any doubt, a doctor or pharmacist should be consulted for advice.

  • Should I take paracetamol instead of ibuprofen to treat COVID-19?

    Neither paracetamol nor ibuprofen treat COVID-19, but both can be helpful in managing pain associated with the disease.Appropriate use of ibuprofen and paracetamol is currently being recommended by most public health authorities as part of the symptomatic treatment of COVID-19.1We would advise anyone using our products to always use medicines as directed in the product label and to use the lowest dose needed for the shortest period of time to control symptoms. People should never take more than one paracetamol-containing product at the same time. If in any doubt, a doctor or pharmacist should be consulted for advice.

  • Can I give my child paracetamol for COVID-19?

    Paracetamol is a well-established treatment for fever reduction and mild to moderate pain relief in adults and children over one month old*.Appropriate use of paracetamol is currently being recommended by public health authorities, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), as part of the symptomatic treatment of COVID-19.1We would advise anyone using a paracetemol product to always use medicines as directed in the product label and to use the lowest dose needed for the shortest period of time to control symptoms. People should never give a child more than one paracetamol-containing product at the same time. If in any doubt, a doctor or pharmacist should be consulted for advice.

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