MedPage Today (11/15, Monaco) reports patients with COVID-19 “on an antidepressant were less likely to die from the infection, a retrospective study found.” According to researchers, “compared with patients not on an antidepressant, patients with COVID-19…taking a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) had a modest but significant 8% reduced risk of death.” Overall, the study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that “14.6% of patients (497 of 3,401) on an SSRI died from COVID-19 versus 16.6% (1,130 of 6,802) of patients who never had a history of taking an SSRI.”
HealthDay (11/15, Mozes) reports the study also revealed a “higher survival rate among those taking two specific SSRIs – Prozac (fluoxetine) and Luvox (fluvoxamine). The 481 patients taking either Prozac or Luvox alone…were 26% to 28% less likely to die from COVID-19, the study team found.”
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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)