Many people in Germany take antihypertensive drugs.
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Three studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine see no link between taking hypotensive medications and Covid infection 19.
Therefore, the course of the disease is not influenced by the medication. This suspicion had been raised in advance by doctors.
Hypertension is one of the most common chronic diseases in Germany and is generally treated with medication.
Many questions about transmission, disease course, and options for protection against the new coronavirus have yet to be definitively answered. However, scientists have now been able to solve a puzzle about the virus: antihypertensive drugs do not increase the risk of developing Covid-19.
This fear was expressed after it became clear how the virus used up its uneven surface. With the help of the structure, the virus manages to bind to receptors on cells in the throat or lungs. Then it penetrates and infects them. These are the same receptors on which the drugs that regulate blood pressure act.
Hypertension is one of the most common chronic diseases.
Then doctors suspected that the drugs could make it easier for the virus to infect cells and spread. Animal testing had suggested such an effect. Since hypertension is one of the most common chronic diseases and drug treatment is common, this hypothesis worries many people.
But now scientists are giving the clear. Three studies published in the “New England Journal of Medicine” indicate that there is no connection between the risk of infection and antihypertensive agents. Nor was fear confirmed that the drug could promote a severe course of the disease.
As the “Spiegel” reported in relation to the studies, the researchers focused on two groups of drugs: ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers. These include the medications Valsartan, Lisinopril and Losartan, which are often prescribed in Germany.
Three different studies with the same result.
In a first study, which analyzed the health data of 8,910 Covid-19 patients from eleven countries, several factors were found to be related to the risk of death. These include advanced age (over 65 years), COPD lung disease, coronary artery disease, as well as regular smoking. However, taking antihypertensive drugs had no effect on the risk of death.
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In a second study, a US research team. USA He analyzed data from the Lombardy region in northern Italy. First, they wanted to find out if taking antihypertensive medications affects the risk of infection. They compared data from around 6,000 people infected with Covid-19 with those from just under 31,000 people who did not have the disease. A connection between an increased risk of infection and the agents could not be demonstrated. The same was true for a suspicious relationship between a severe course of the disease and taking the drug.
The third investigation was devoted to the medical records of more than 12,000 US patients. USA They had undergone the Covid 19 test. Almost half of the cases examined had received a positive result. About 1,000 of them were seriously ill. The researchers found no difference between the people taking antihypertensive drugs and other study participants.
Therefore, all three studies independently reached the same conclusion. “I am happy to be able to tell my patients that they can continue to take their hypertension medications,” says “Spiegel” Harmony Reynolds of the New York University School of Medicine. She had conducted the third study.
You shouldn’t believe these 17 myths about the corona virus
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You shouldn’t believe these 17 myths about the corona virus
Myth 1: Corona virus does not spread to warmer and wetter regions.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), all the scientific evidence currently indicates that the virus can spread to all areas of the world, regardless of the climate.
Therefore, you must take precautions no matter where you are. Wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face, as recommended by the WHO.
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Myth 2: especially cold weather and snow kill the virus.
It also cannot impress the virus in particularly cold weather. Our body temperature is relatively stable at 36.5 to 37 degrees. So it doesn’t matter if we wallow in the snow or lie in the sun, according to WHO experts.
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Myth 3: Holding your breath for ten seconds is an automatic test for Corona.
With WhatsApp and other messaging services, there was a rumor that you could use this simple experiment to test if you had Corona. If you manage to hold the air in your lungs for ten seconds without feeling any symptoms or coughing, you’re healthy, that’s the myth.
The Taiwan Fact Check Center had already sent this claim to two experts last month, according to the Correctiv research center in a contribution. They said that they had never heard of such a procedure. One of the experts said the claim was wrong.
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Myth 4: Drinking a sip of water every 15 minutes can protect against Covid-19.
This misinformation was also shared as a chain letter on social media. WHO stopped Twitter He said that drinking plenty of water is beneficial for general health. However, it does not protect against infection with the corona virus.
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Myth 5: A hot bath protects against Covid-19.
Again with this myth, the WHO health experts point out that our body temperature is stable. Hot water temperatures do not protect you from infection, but can cause burns.
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Myth 6: The new corona virus can be transmitted through mosquitoes.
There is also no scientific evidence for this claim, according to the WHO. The virus is actually transmitted through droplets. So if an infected person sneezes or coughs, others can become infected. The rule here is that frequent handwashing and a two-meter distance from other people can prevent infection.
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Myth 7: Pets like cats and dogs can also get the virus.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) states that there is no evidence that pets can transmit the new corona virus to humans.
The knowledge magazine “Spectrum” reports on a case in Hong Kong where small amounts of the virus’ genetic pathogenic material were detected in a dog living in a home with a person infected with a crown. However, according to experts, it could also have been contaminated by virus particles in the air, according to the magazine.
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Myth 8: The incubation period for the virus is up to 20 days.
Both the WHO and the Robert Koch Institute assume an incubation period of one to 14 days. Symptoms appear more frequently after about five days.
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Myth 9: UV disinfection lamps can kill the virus.
The WHO cautions against using UV disinfection lamps to sterilize hands or other parts of the body. Ultraviolet light does not kill the virus. However, under certain circumstances, it can cause skin irritation.
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Myth 10: The virus floats in the air for several minutes before settling down.
This claim is not entirely correct. As “Spectrum” magazine writes, the largest droplets that rise into the air due to coughing or sneezing fall to the ground after a few seconds. Only a few tiny drops, the so-called aerosols, stay in the air any longer. The viruses it contains are still infectious, but they spread very quickly. Therefore, even in wards such as intensive care units, viruses are barely detectable in the air, as a study by Wuhan shows.
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Myth 11: if you rub alcohol or disinfectant, the virus dies.
You shouldn’t believe this myth either. The WHO writes that this approach will not kill viruses that have already entered your body.
Drinking alcohol doesn’t kill the virus, either. According to media reports, more than two dozen people died in Iran after the rumor spread that alcohol could destroy coronaviruses. Then they drank adulterated alcohol.
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Myth 12: Pneumonia vaccines can protect against the new coronavirus.
According to the WHO, pneumococcal vaccination and the HIB vaccine do not offer protection against the new coronavirus. According to the WHO, these vaccines are generally recommended.
Science is currently working on a vaccine against the new virus. It will be a few months before a vaccine is actually available.
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Myth 13: Eating garlic can prevent coronavirus infection.
Garlic is undoubtedly a healthy food. And it even has antiviral properties. However, according to the WHO, spices and medicinal plants do not protect against highly contagious viruses such as the new corona virus.
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Myth 14: Only older people can get Corona.
This claim is incorrect. People of all ages can become infected with the new coronavirus. However, there are indications that older people and people with a previous illness experience a particularly severe course of the disease.
In Corona’s time, it is important that all people, regardless of age and health, take steps to protect themselves and those around them, according to the WHO.
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Myth 15: Antibiotics are effective in preventing and treating the new coronavirus.
As the name suggests, antibiotics don’t work against viruses, but against bacteria. Therefore, antibiotics are not recommended as prevention or treatment for corona diseases.
However, some of them are still used in crown patients. However, this serves to treat a simultaneous bacterial infection.
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Myth 16: Ibuprofen exacerbates the course of Covid-19.
Until now, there is no scientific evidence that ibuprofen can negatively influence the course of Covid disease 19. The WHO had briefly warned against taking ibuprofen as a pain reliever for a disease. This warning was withdrawn.
In Twitter The organization said there is currently no information against ibuprofen in Covid-19 disease.
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Myth 17: Frequent rinsing of the nose with saline can prevent coronavirus infection.
The WHO also contradicts this statement. There is currently no evidence that frequent nasal rinsing has a protective effect against the new coronavirus.
For more information on the new type of coronavirus, you can get more information from the WHO or Robert Koch Institute website.
