World Health Organization (WHO) has welcomed preliminary clinical trial results from the United Kingdom (UK) which indicates that, dexamethasone, a corticosteroid drug, can be lifesaving for patients who are critically ill with COVID-19.
Scientists from the University of Oxford, UK, on Tuesday announced that dexamethasone cured patients critically ill with coronavirus during trial.
According to preliminary findings UK shared with WHO, the treatment helped patients on ventilators reduce mortality by about one third, and for patients requiring only oxygen, mortality was cut by about one fifth.
The benefit was only seen in patients seriously ill with COVID-19, and was not observed in patients with milder disease.
Reacting to the latest discovery, WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement on Twitter said;
This is a welcome news. I congratulate the Government of the United Kingdom, University of Oxford, the research groups, hospitals, patients and families who have collectively contributed to this lifesaving breakthrough.
This is welcome news. I congratulate the Government of the #UnitedKingdom, @UniofOxford, the research groups, hospitals, patients and families who have collectively contributed to this lifesaving breakthrough. #COVID19 https://t.co/5ofV5LBtL5
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) June 17, 2020
He added that WHO is looking forward to learning more about the dexamethasone study.
.@WHO looks forward to learning more about the #dexamethasone study. This is the first treatment to be shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients with #COVID19 requiring oxygen or ventilator support. https://t.co/f2S5nqKQl2
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) June 17, 2020
Dr. Ghebreyesus expressed that;
There are many ongoing clinical trials for COVID-19, including the Solidarity Trial launched by WHO and partners. It is hoped that more treatments under clinical evaluation will result in improving patient outcomes and save lives.
There are many ongoing clinical trials for #COVID19, including the Solidarity Trial launched by @WHO and partners. It is hoped that more treatments under clinical evaluation will result in improving patient outcomes and save lives.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) June 17, 2020
According to a follow up tweet, the health body stated;
While we are searching for COVID-19 treatments, we must continue strong efforts to prevent as many infections as possible by finding, isolating, testing and caring for every case; and tracing and quarantining every contact.
While we are searching for #COVID19 treatments we must continue strong efforts to prevent as many infections as possible by finding, isolating, testing and caring for every case; and tracing and quarantining every contact.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) June 17, 2020
Dexamethasone is a steroid that has been used since the 1960s to reduce inflammation in a range of conditions, including inflammatory disorders and certain cancers.
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.
