A test conducted from Oxford researchers shows great result of the steroid in reducing the cases of death of Covid-19 among those more serious.
Dexamethasone or a cheap steroid has been discovered that can limit the death risk by up to one-third among Covid-19 patients with grave respiratory problems. This statement comes from Oxford researchers. Scientists found that Dexamethasone can be used for patients on ventilators or oxygens but it’s not effective for those who don’t need respiratory help, working on the Recovery Trial.
Dexamethasone as a new solution against Covid-19
Boris Johnson welcomed it as the “biggest breakthrough yet” in the fight against Covid-19. He also claimed that the UK had enough supply of the drug to use in case of a second spike.
PM added: “I am proud of these British scientists, backed by UK government funding, who have led the first robust clinical trial anywhere in the world to find a Covid-19 treatment proven to reduce the risk of death.”
Then No 10 said that this drug is available on the NHS. Since March, the government has accumulated 200,000 courses of dexamethasone, which solutions, both oral and injective, was forbidden to export from the UK. The Department for Health confirmed the export ban in order to avoid resell from companies at higher prices abroad.
The experts also said that the drugs have been administered to a randomised group of 2,104 patients. The preliminary results demonstrate that Dexamethasone surprisingly decreases deaths and by one-third in those who needed a ventilator to breathe and by one-fifth in patients on oxygen feeds.
Experts about the use and effects of the drug
Martin Landray, professor of medicine and epidemiology at Oxford University, another of the trial’s chief investigators, declared: “These preliminary results from the Recovery Trial are very clear – dexamethasone reduces the risk of death among patients with severe respiratory complications.”
Also a complete course of treatment in the NHS is very affordable, more or less £5, and considerably less than one dollar in other parts of the world, for example in India.
Then Peter Horby, professor of emerging diseases and global health at Oxford University, one of the trial’s chief investigators, confirmed that the findings about the steroid had been around for more than 60 years and were “remarkable”.
It is”the start of something important” said the Chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance. Dexamethasone was the first medicine to improve chances to live in any group of patients. Not only that, Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, said that it was “the most important trial result for COVID-19 so far”.
