Claims ibuprofen worsens coronavirus have been dismissed by the European Medicines Agency.
The false claims suggested the over-the-counter painkiller and anti-inflammatory was dangerous to people with the virus.
French Health Minister Olivier Veran had tweeted on Saturday that "taking anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, cortisone...) could be an aggravating factor of the infection". But this latest advice contradicts his comments.
And a fake news story that went global on social media started in Ireland.
It falsely stated four young people with no underlying conditions were in intensive care in Cork and all had been taking anti-inflammatories.
But while ibuprofen does not make the virus worse, paracetamol may be a better option to manage symptoms.
People already on ibuprofen for other conditions should keep taking it.
“There is currently no scientific evidence establishing a link between ibuprofen and worsening of COVID‑19,” the agency said,
“When starting treatment for fever or pain in COVID-19, patients and healthcare professionals should consider all available treatment options including ibuprofen and related drugs, as well as paracetamol,” they said.
Paracetamol and ibuprofen can bring a temperature down and help with flu-like symptoms.
However, ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are not suitable for everyone.
They can cause side-effects - especially for people with asthma, heart and circulatory problems.
In Britain, the National Health Service has slightly different advice than the European Medicines Agency.
They say that while ibuprofen does not make the virus worse, paracetamol may be the better option at this stage, unless a doctor says otherwise.
