Antidepressant fluvoxamine can save COVID-19 patients, McMaster-led research shows

An inexpensive oral antidepressant can save the lives of COVID-19 patients and cut hospital admissions by up to 30 per cent, says a study co-led by McMaster researcher Ed Mills. (Pixabay image)

An inexpensive oral antidepressant can save the lives of COVID-19 patients and cut hospital admissions by up to 30 per cent, says a study co-led by McMaster University.  

McMaster researcher Ed Mills and his team treated 738 randomly selected Brazilian COVID-19 patients with fluvoxamine, while another 733 received a placebo, between Jan. 20 and Aug. 6 of this year.  

Every patient receiving fluvoxamine during the trial is tracked for 28 days to determine their health outcomes and if they still need hospital treatment. 

Researchers found about a 30-per-cent reduction in events among those receiving fluvoxamine compared to those who did not.     

The fluvoxamine trial formed part of the larger TOGETHER Trial that started in May 2020, aiming to test potential COVID-19 treatments in a community setting. 

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