Oh, what a time to be alive! In the midst of a global pandemic, some bright minds thought, “Hey, let’s see if a drug designed to keep bones from turning to dust can also keep the notorious COVID-19 at bay!” Enter denosumab, the osteoporosis wonder that might just moonlight as a virus bouncer. Our intrepid researchers at Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo (you know, the place that was practically the poster child for COVID horror stories) decided to play matchmaker between denosumab and the coronavirus.

They rounded up a merry band of 331 patients who were getting cozy with denosumab and pitted them against 357 control subjects who, presumably, were left to fend for themselves. Then, with the suspense of a reality TV show, they watched to see who would succumb to the viral charms of COVID-19. Lo and behold, the denosumab group played hard to get, with only 7.6% falling ill compared to the control group’s 14.6% (cue dramatic gasp).

But wait, there’s more! The severity of the illness was like a disappointing sequel—pretty much the same for both groups. However, when they crunched the numbers with all the passion of a high school romance, they found that denosumab might just be the protective knight in shining armor, especially for the silver-haired crowd over 75. For them, denosumab was like a super-exclusive club with a 0.12 odds ratio of letting COVID-19 past the velvet rope.

So, what’s the takeaway from this epic saga? According to our heroes, denosumab isn’t just for keeping your skeleton from going rogue—it might also give you a fighting chance against the pandemic’s microscopic menace. But, as with all great tales, more chapters (a.k.a. research) are needed to see if this plot twist holds up in the real world.