Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early COVID-19

By CARLA K. JOHNSON
AP Medical Writer

A new study found a cheap antidepressant reduced the need for hospitalization among high-risk adults with COVID-19. The research is part of a larger project hunting for existing drugs that could be repurposed to treat coronavirus. Researchers tested the antidepressant because it was known to reduce inflammation and looked promising in smaller studies. The pill called fluvoxamine is normally used for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It would cost about $4 for a course of COVID-19 treatment. The results of the study were published Wednesday in the journal Lancet Global Health.