Safe diabetes pill, metformin, reduces long Covid risk by 40 per cent, study finds

New Delhi, Jun 9 (PTI) A two-week course of the safe, affordable diabetes medication, metformin, following a positive Covid test could reduce risk of long Covid by 40 per cent over the subsequent 10 months, a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal found.

Participants chosen for the study were over 30 years of age, at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 because of being overweight or obese and had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 within the last three days, with no prior Covid infection.

The study, which included researchers from the University of Minnesota, US, recruited 1,126 participants from December 2020 to January 2022 who were given either metformin or an identical placebo pill after they returned a positive Covid test. Follow-up data over the 10 months was collected through questionnaires every 30 days.