A common heartburn drug may have helped 10 patients at home with coronavirus

It's a common, over-the-counter drug used for treating heartburn -- yet famotidine may have given relief to patients with the novel coronavirus.

Ten patients home sick with Covid-19 took famotidine, the active ingredient in Pepcid, and in all 10 cases, their symptoms improved, according to a study published Thursday. None were hospitalized, and all survived.  

“All patients noticed a rapid improvement in their condition within 24 to 48 hours of starting famotidine,” according to the report, published Thursday in the medical journal Gut. “These findings suggest that famotidine may affect the course of COVID-19.”