Dexamethasone: All you need to know about life-saving drug for COVID-19 patients

Researchers in the UK have claimed that generic steroid drug dexamethasone significantly reduces the death rate of seriously ill COVID-19 patients requiring respiratory intervention. The RECOVERY (Randomised Evaluation of COVid-19 thERapY) study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), said that low doses of the cheaply available drug improve survival rates in certain coronavirus patients.

In the study, conducted at the University of Oxford, 2104 patients were given dexamethasone once every day for ten days and were compared with 4321 patients who didn’t receive the drug. The study found that dexamethasone reduced the risk of dying by one-third for patients on ventilators and by one-fifth for those receiving only oxygen.

Prof Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, said in a statement that the study shows a significant reduction in mortality rate in those requiring oxygen or ventilation. The results of the widely available drug are being touted as a major breakthrough in the treatment of coronavirus patients after hydroxychloroquine failed to work, according to RECOVERY trial, against the novel coronavirus.

Read: UK Health Minister Says COVID Patients To Get Dexamethasone Drug Immediately

Dexamethasone - widely available corticosteroid

Dexamethasone is similar to a natural hormone produced by adrenal glands and often used against inflammation. The immune system of a COVID-19 patient goes into overdrive to fight off coronavirus which causes inflammation. The overreaction by the immune system can be fatal, so doctors have been testing anti-inflammatory drugs on coronavirus patients.

It is also used to treat certain forms of arthritis; skin, blood, kidney, eye, thyroid, and intestinal disorders; severe allergies; and asthma. It has been listed on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines since 1977 in multiple formulations and is currently off-patent and affordably available in most countries.

The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed the initial clinical trial results that showed dexamethasone, a corticosteroid, can be lifesaving for critically ill COVID-19 patients. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that it is the first treatment to show a reduction in mortality rate in COVID-19 patients requiring oxygen or ventilator support.

“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,” said the WHO chief.

Read: Restriction On Export Of HCQ Lifted; Production Surpassed Domestic Requirement: Union Min