The steroid Dexamethasone has demonstrated to be able to reduce ventilated deaths by one third in severe hospitalized cases. This makes the drug the most effective treatment of coronavirus so far, according to the initial trails.
According to the Oxford researchers, they found the first evidence that Dexamethasone reduces the risk of dying from coronavirus by a third in patients on ventilators. This cheap steroid now selling for £5 in the UK reduced deaths by up to one third in severe hospitalized patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome.
Researchers said that they would publish results soon as the study was large and strict testing was assigned arbitrarily to 2,104 patients. Then the results were compared with 4,321 patients who were not taking this drug rather they were taking usual care. This was the part of the recovery trial that was established to test a range of potential therapies on other serious coronavirus patients.
The drug reduced deaths by 35 percent in patients who needed treatment with ventilators or some breathing machines but it did not appear helpful for lesser ill patients.
Chief investigators of the trial from the University of Oxford in the UK, Peter Horby said, “Dexamethasone is the first drug to be shown to improve survival in COVID-19. This is an extremely welcome result. The survival benefit is clear and large in those patients who are sick enough to require oxygen treatment, so dexamethasone should now become standard of care in these patients”.
Medical specialists from around the world responded to the results and it looks like it is a breakthrough in dealing with serious Covid-19 patients. It is a rather big deal that more than 5 months now went into the research for a potential vaccine and with this treatment, the normal risk of death on a ventilator which is 40%, fell to 28%. Also, this treatment is affordable worldwide and instantly available.
About Dexamethasone drug:
- It is a cheap widely available drug that helps to save serious patients infected with the coronavirus.
- The drug is given either via injection or as a tablet.
- The low dose is enough in the fight against the deadly virus
- This drug is the biggest trial testing of existing treatments.
- It reduces death by a third for patients on ventilators and those on oxygen, it reduces by fifth.
- It can be the biggest benefit for poor countries like Pakistan with a high number of cases of coronavirus.
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