Steroid dexamethasone found to reduce deaths in critically ill COVID-19 patients
Things seem to be looking up as another piece of good news in the fight against COVID-19 comes to light. Initial clinical trials conducted in the United kingdom (UK) found that a steroid called dexamethasone reduced deaths in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
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Dexamethasone has been found to reduce deaths in critically ill COVID-19 patients / Source: Pexels
The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed the favorable clinical trial results and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus released a statement regarding the pleasant news.
“This is the first treatment to be shown to reduce mortality in patients with COVID-19 requiring oxygen or ventilator support.”
He added, “This is great news and I congratulate the Government of the UK, the University of Oxford, and the many hospitals and patients in the UK who have contributed to this lifesaving scientific breakthrough.”
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus / Source: DrTedros.Official (FB)
Dexamethasone is a steroid often used to treat inflammatory disorders such as arthritis and also certain types of cancer.
According to WHO it has been used since the 1960s, and has been listed on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines since 1977 in multiple formulations.
Dexamethasone is available in most countries, including the Philippines, and is sold at a very affordable price.
Last week, Moderna and Sinovac Biotech have announced that their respective COVID-19 vaccines will undergo the last stage of testing in July.
So far, June has been filled with favorable updates regarding the development of vaccines and therapeutics against COVID-19, and it gives hope that the world may soon witness the end to this pandemic.
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