Should we let fever run its course in the early stages of COVID-19?

Abstract

Antipyretic drugs are routinely taken by most people at the first sign of a fever, but the symptomatic relief achieved with these drugs comes with the price of putting out a host defense response known to aid the immune system in the clearance of pathogens. This may be a steep price to pay when lives are at stake amid the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, experimental and clinical data are discussed in light of the notion that fever is particularly adaptive in the early, less severe stages of an infection, when the benefits of a raised body temperature to immunity far exceed its costs to the host. It is, therefore, reasonable to advise that allowing fever to run its natural course for a few days after the onset of symptoms in COVID-19 may reduce the risk of long-lasting infection and, consequently, the risk of complications.