Dexamethasone could be a Standard COVID-19 Drug

Oct, 2020 - By SMI

New research reports the results of the use of dexamethasone in COVID-19 patients who are on ventilators and oxygen.

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 18 million individuals and killed more than 689,347 people around the world. As the disease is wreaking havoc across the world, a myriad of strategies is currently being tested to combat the virus. To date, several treatments or drugs have been tested to combat COVID-19. However, the efficacy of these treatments is lacking, as multiple drugs or treatments are given simultaneously. Currently, around 16 drugs are being used for the treatment of COVID-19. The current global pandemic is mostly causing only mild symptoms or asymptomatic (those who do not develop symptoms).

However, a significant minority often requires mechanical ventilation or oxygen in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Many researchers/scientists across the globe have explored the use of new and already approved medications to combat COVID-19 and one of the very few promising leads to dexamethasone. Dexamethasone is a type of corticosteroid drug and used to treat several conditions such as brain swelling, croup, asthma, severe allergies, many skin diseases, and chronic obstructive lung disease. In prior studies, dexamethasone has been reported to reduce mortality by 36% and 18% in coronavirus patients who are on ventilators and oxygen, respectively.

New research reports the results of the use of dexamethasone in COVID-19 patients who are on ventilators and oxygen. The research was published in July 2020 on the preprint server medRxiv. The research team from the University of Oxford recommends the use of dexamethasone and suggests that it should be immediately adopted as a standard treatment for COVID-19 patients with shortness of breath. According to the researchers, dexamethasone might save thousands of lives in the coming 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The benefits of dexamethasone include its long history of use, potency, and good safety record.