Generic steroid drug dexamethasone is allegedly discovered as a life-saving drug against COVID-19.
When given in small doses, it was found to have diminished the death rates by approximately a third among those with the most severe cases of the coronavirus. This discovery was seen through trial data released on Tuesday.
Scientists leading the UK-led clinical trial known as RECOVERY said results were a “major breakthrough.” The outcome of the trial suggested that dexamethasone is the first drug shown to be able to save lives among COVID-19 patients. Hence, scientists recommend that it should become part of the standard care in COVID-19 patients treated in the hospital.
“This is a result that shows that if patients who have COVID-19 and are on ventilators or are on oxygen are given dexamethasone, it will save lives, and it will do so at a remarkably low cost,” said Martin Landray, an Oxford University professor who is co-leading the trial.
His co-lead investigator, Peter Horby, said dexamethasone – a generic steroid widely used in other diseases to reduce inflammation – is “the only drug that’s so far shown to reduce mortality – and it reduces it significantly.”
At present, there are no approved COVID-19 vaccines or treatments.
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