California, Feb. 16 -- Antidepressants, such as Prozac, are routinely used to treat mental health issues, but recent research reveals they may also protect against major infections and life-threatening sepsis.

Scientists at the Salk Institute have now discovered how medications regulate the immune system and protect against infectious disease, providing insights that could lead to a new generation of life-saving treatments and improve global readiness for future pandemics.

The Salk study follows recent findings that users of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac had less severe COVID-19 infections and were less likely to develop long COVID.

Another study found that Prozac--also known as fluoxetine--was effective i...