LONDON : A drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis may reduce the risk of dying for elderly patients with COVID-19, and provide a new weapon in the arsenal against the novel coronavirus, according to a study.In the research, published in the journal Science Advances, 83 patients with a median age of 81 and all suffering from moderate to severe COVID-19 infection were given a drug called baricitinib.This medication was initially identified by scientists at Imperial College London in the UK using artificial intelligence (AI) as a drug that could have anti-viral and anti-inflammatory effects.In the study, the patients, who were in multiple hospitals across Italy and Spain, had a 71% reduced risk of dying compared to patients who had not taken.