Scientists have found that a common antidepressant called fluvoxamine might help people who feel very tired after COVID. The drug is cheap and already used for depression.
A Simple Study
Researchers from Canada, Brazil, and the United States tested fluvoxamine on 399 adults in Brazil. All participants had been tired for at least three months after a confirmed COVID infection.
People were split into three groups. One group took fluvoxamine, another took metformin (a diabetes pill), and the third group took a fake pill (placebo). They took the pills for 60 days.
What They Found
Fluvoxamine worked better than the fake pill. The data showed a 99 % chance that the drug reduced fatigue. Those who took fluvoxamine also said they felt better in daily life.
Metformin did not help. Earlier studies suggested it might prevent long COVID if taken early, but it did not improve fatigue in people who already had the condition.
How the Test Was Done
The scientists used a special “Bayesian adaptive” design. This method lets them stop a treatment group early when results become clear, saving time while keeping the study reliable.
What This Means
Long COVID can affect about 65 million people worldwide. Right now, most advice focuses on pacing activities and treating each symptom separately.
Fluvoxamine is not a cure for everything about long COVID, but it looks promising for the tiredness many people experience.
More research is needed to find out who benefits most, why the drug helps, and whether it can be combined with other treatments.
Funding for the study came from The Latona Foundation.