Antidepressant medicine Fluvoxamine can help reduce hospitalisation rate in high-risk Covid patients by 30 per cent, as per a study published in the Lancet Global Health journal.

This drug is usually used to treat mental health conditions such as obsessive compulsion disorders (OCD), depression, anxiety and such.

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Researchers used Fluvoxamine on 739 patients between the time period of January 15 and August 6, this year. These 739 patients hailed from Brazil and were Covid patients. Another group of 733 patients had received placebo. Patients who were given Fluvoxamine were observed for 28 days and the experts kept a track of their health to see if they needed to be hospitalised.

The data proved that people who were administered Fluvoxamine did not have to be admitted to the hospital. The hospitalisation rate had reduced by 30 per cent in case of Fluvoxamine injected patients.

In cases of patients who were taking all their prescribed drugs saw reduction of 65 per cent in hospitalisation rate.

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“Fluvoxamine may reduce the production of inflammatory molecules known as cytokines, that can be triggered by SARS-CoV-2, the COVID-19 causing virus,” Angela Reiersen, an associate professor at the Washington University and co-author of the research said.

The drug was selected for its anti-inflammatory properties and because it was believed that the drug has the potential to reduce the cytokine storm in the Covid patients.

“COVID-19 still poses a risk to individuals in countries with low resources and limited access to vaccinations,” said Edward Mills of McMaster University, co-principal investigator on the trial. “Identifying inexpensive, widely available, and effective therapies against Covid-19 is therefore of great importance, and repurposing existing medications that are widely available and have well-understood safety profiles is of particular interest.”