Project #175:
Implications of metformin for Long COVID

Recent evidence from a placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial (COVID-OUT trial: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(23)00299-2) has shown that giving metformin, a cheap and accessible first-line diabetes medication to people with COVID-19 during the early stages of infection may reduce the chances of them developing Long COVID. This is an interesting discovery, but more research is needed to confirm its effectiveness and guide treatment decisions. To do this, the study aims to first understand how metformin is prescribed to people with diabetes and at risk of diabetes. Second, it wants to find out how many of them also had a recent COVID-19 infection before starting metformin. Finally, we plan to conduct an analysis to estimate the occurrence of Long COVID among people with type 2 diabetes who were treated with metformin compared to those who were not. This research will help us better understand the potential benefits of using metformin for COVID-19 and its impact on Long COVID.