Many people around the world have gotten sick with a virus called COVID-19.
Most people get better, but some keep feeling sick for a long time, even after the virus has gone. This is called “Long COVID.”
About one out of every ten people who get COVID-19 experience Long COVID, according to the World Health Organization. Scientists are still learning about it.
A Surprising Solution
Some researchers in the United States made an exciting discovery. They found a common medicine that might help prevent Long COVID.
The medicine, called metformin, is usually given to people with a disease called type 2 diabetes. It’s a safe and cheap medicine, made from a pretty purple flower called the French lilac.
How the Study Worked
The scientists gathered 1,126 volunteers. These people were a little overweight and had recently tested positive for COVID-19.
Half of the volunteers took metformin, and the other half took a pretend pill, which is called a placebo. After ten months, they found out who got Long COVID.
The Results Are In!
The results were amazing! People who took metformin were less likely to get Long COVID. In fact, they had a 40% lower chance.
That’s almost half! Only 35 people who took metformin got Long COVID, but 58 people who took the pretend pill did.
The study was done from December 2020 to January 2022. During this time, a new version of the virus, called the Omicron variant, was spreading. But the medicine still worked.
Why Does It Work?
Carolyn Bramante, one of the scientists who did the study, said that metformin reduces the amount of virus in people’s bodies. The less virus, the less chance of getting Long COVID.
The Bigger Picture
This is big news! But remember, it’s still early days. More studies are needed to be sure. For every 24 people who take metformin, only one case of Long COVID is prevented.
That seems like a lot of medicine for a little result. Also, scientists haven’t tested if metformin can help people who already have Long COVID.
Another important note is that other drugs they tried, like ivermectin and fluvoxamine, didn’t work to prevent Long COVID.
Living with Long COVID
Long COVID can be tough. Many people with Long COVID feel very tired, have trouble breathing, and have a hard time thinking clearly.
This is called “brain fog.” Millions of people have experienced Long COVID. It’s a big problem, and we need more solutions like metformin.
This discovery about metformin is a promising start. But remember, the best way to avoid Long COVID is to not get COVID-19 in the first place.
So, keep washing your hands, wearing masks, and getting vaccinated if you can. Let’s keep each other safe!
If you care about COVID, please read studies about Vitamin D deficiency linked to severe COVID-19, and how diets could help manage post-COVID syndrome.
For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies about How to eat to prevent type 2 diabetes and 5 vitamins that may prevent complications in diabetes.
The study was published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
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