A recent peer-reviewed journal paper published in Nature Scientific Reports has shown the excellent efficacy of Indomethacin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, as an antiviral agent in the treatment of mild and moderate Covid-19 patients. 

The study conducted at Panimalar Medical College and Research Institute was led by Dr Rajan Ravichandran, an Adjunct Faculty at IIT Madras and Director of Nephrology at MIOT hospitals. The study was conceptualised and coordinated by Prof. R. Krishna Kumar, Institute professor, IIT Madras. The entire study was funded by Kris Gopalakrishnan an alumnus of IIT Madras and Chairman, Axilor Ventures. None of the 103 patients who received indomethacin developed oxygen desaturation.  On the other hand, 20 of the 109 patients from the control group were desaturated with oxygen saturation levels below 93 per cent. Indomethacin group patients recovered from all symptoms in three to four days. It took double the time for the control group. Liver and kidney function tests showed no adverse reaction. The work was chosen for peer review by Rapid Reviews; Covid-19, run by a team from Univ. California Berkeley and MIT Press. 

The results in this work to support and extend an earlier study by the team that was published in the Journal of the Indian Medical Association.   In the earlier study, 72 patients were administered Indomethacin and 72 other patients, Paracetamol.  This study also showed that only one patient under Indomethacin treatment developed hypoxia, compared to 28 in the Paracetamol group.  Furthermore, the administration of Indomethacin to patients having severe Covid symptoms prevented the need for ventilation.