Common Diabetes Drug May Prevent Long COVID, Study Finds

Metformin shown to significantly reduce risk of developing long-term COVID-19 symptoms.

Published on Feb. 1, 2026

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A new study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases has found that the common diabetes medication metformin can significantly reduce the risk of developing long COVID. Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School looked at several studies of adults taking metformin during or soon after a COVID-19 infection and found that on average, one case of long COVID is prevented for every 50 cases treated with 14 days of metformin.

Why it matters

Long COVID, where symptoms persist for three months or longer, affects around one in four people who contract the virus. This new research on metformin provides a potential low-cost and widely accessible treatment option to help prevent these debilitating long-term effects.

The details

Metformin is thought to interfere with the virus, preventing it from replicating, and also has anti-inflammatory properties that can boost the immune system's response. The medication is generally well-tolerated, with mostly gastrointestinal side effects, and is an off-patent, generic drug costing just 10-20 cents per pill, making it widely available.

  • The study was published on January 29, 2026.
  • The researchers looked at the effects of taking metformin for 14 days after a COVID-19 infection.

The players

University of Minnesota Medical School

The institution where the researchers who conducted the study on metformin and long COVID are based.

Clinical Infectious Diseases

The academic journal that published the study on metformin's potential to prevent long COVID.

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What’s next

Further research is still needed to determine if metformin can also be effective in preventing long COVID in children.

The takeaway

This affordable and widely available diabetes medication could provide a new treatment option to help reduce the burden of long COVID, which affects millions of people globally.