Taking a diabetes drug shortly after infection appears to cut the risk of long COVID by 40 per cent. 

US scientists say taking a two-week course of a common diabetes medication called metformin shortly after testing positive for COVID-19 reduces the risk of developing long COVID by 40 per cent. 

They tested the drug on 1,126 overweight and obese people, some of whom were given metformin within three days of a COVID-19 diagnosis, and some of whom were given an inactive placebo treatment. 

Of those on metformin, 6.3 per cent went on to develop long COVID, while 10.4 per cent of the placebo group developed the condition. 

The authors say this is the first published ‘gold standard’ clinical trial to suggest drugs taken shortly after a COVID-19 diagnosis may be able to reduce the risk of long COVID. 

However, they caution that they did not look at the effects of metformin in people who already had long COVID, so it is unclear if it would work as a treatment for the condition as well as helping prevent it. 

The team also looked at ivermectin and fluvoxamine, neither of which prevented long COVID.

The study is accessible here.