Aspirin in COVID-19: Pros and Cons

Rana Zareef; Marwa Diab; Tala Al Saleh; Adham Makarem; Nour K Younis; Fadi Bitar; Mariam Arabi

doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.849628

Aspirin in COVID-19: Pros and Cons

Front Pharmacol. 2022 Mar 10:13:849628. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.849628. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Rana Zareef¹, Marwa Diab¹, Tala Al Saleh², Adham Makarem², Nour K Younis³, Fadi Bitar^{1

2

4}, Mariam Arabi^{1

2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine Department, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
² Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
³ Brigham and Women's Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
⁴ Pediatric Department, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.

Abstract

Since its emergence, the COVID-19 pandemic has been ravaging the medical and economic sectors even with the significant vaccination advances. In severe presentations, the disease of SARS-CoV-2 can manifest with life-threatening thromboembolic and multi-organ repercussions provoking notable morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of such burdensome forms has been under extensive investigation and is attributed to a state of immune dysfunction and hyperinflammation. In light of these extraordinary circumstances, research efforts have focused on investigating and repurposing previously available agents that target the inflammatory and hematological cascades. Aspirin, due to its well-known properties and multiple molecular targets, and ought to its extensive clinical use, has been perceived as a potential therapeutic agent for COVID-19. Aspirin acts at multiple cellular targets to achieve its anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet effects. Although initial promising clinical data describing aspirin role in COVID-19 has appeared, evidence supporting its use remains fragile and premature. This review explores the notion of repurposing aspirin in COVID-19 infection. It delves into aspirin as a molecule, along with its pharmacology and clinical applications. It also reviews the current high-quality clinical evidence highlighting the role of aspirin in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; aspirin; coronavirus; salicylic acid.

Publication types

Review