NewsBytes
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    More
    In the news
    Joe Biden
    United States of America
    COVID-19
    Russia-Ukraine crisis
    NewsBytes
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    NewsBytes
    User Placeholder

    Hi,

    Logout


    India Business World Politics Sports Technology Entertainment Auto Lifestyle Inspirational Career Bengaluru Delhi Mumbai Visual Stories Find Cricket Statistics Phones Reviews Fitness Bands Reviews Speakers Reviews

    Download Android App

    Follow us on
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
     
    Home / News / World News / Confirmed! Dexamethasone drug can be 'life-saving' for COVID-19 patients
    World

    Confirmed! Dexamethasone drug can be 'life-saving' for COVID-19 patients

    Confirmed! Dexamethasone drug can be 'life-saving' for COVID-19 patients
    Written by Shubham Sharma
    Jun 17, 2020, 03:41 pm 3 min read
    Confirmed! Dexamethasone drug can be 'life-saving' for COVID-19 patients

    As the race to develop vaccines and anti-viral treatments for COVID-19 continues, researchers in the UK have confirmed that Dexamethasone, an existing and pretty affordable drug, can prove 'life-saving' for critical cases of the disease. It has been able to reduce mortality by a significant margin in trials, with the results officially being confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Here's more about it.

    First, what is Dexamethasone?

    Dexamethasone is an on-the-shelf steroid that reduces inflammation and helps with the treatment of several conditions, including allergies, asthma, eczema, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, and certain cancers. It has been available since the 1960s and is widely available at affordable prices across most countries, including developing nations like India. The drug has also been on WHO's Model List of Essential Medicines since 1977.

    How it has proven effective?

    Dexamethasone is being hailed as 'life-saving' on the basis of results observed in RECOVERY (Randomized Evaluation of COVid-19 thERapY) clinical trials in the UK. The tests, aimed at exploring different therapies, tried the steroid on 2,104 patients and found that it can reduce mortality by a third for seriously ill patients on ventilator and by a fifth for those needing oxygen support.

    Here's what happened in the trial

    In the trial, the 2,104 patients were given a 6mg dose of Dexamethasone once per day for 10 days and the recovery of the patients was compared with that of 4,321 patients getting only the usual care.

    No benefit for people with milder form of the disease

    While the drug appeared to help seriously ill COVID-19 patients, those with a milder form of the disease and no respiratory support did not show any signs of improvement when treated with the steroid. Still, this is a major breakthrough; the team involved in the trial says the results show the drug could prevent at least one death in 8 ventilated patients.

    This is great news, said WHO Director-General

    "This is the first treatment to be shown to reduce mortality in patients with COVID-19 requiring oxygen or ventilator support. This is great news and I congratulate the Government of the UK, the University of Oxford, who have contributed to this lifesaving scientific breakthrough."

    Note: Full results are yet to be assessed

    That said, it must be noted that these promising figures are a part of the initial results shared by the team in the UK. The researchers will publish full details in the coming days, following which "WHO will coordinate a meta-analysis to increase our overall understanding of this intervention" and update clinical guidance on how and when the drug should be used for COVID-19.

    Share this timeline
    Facebook
    Whatsapp
    Twitter
    Linkedin
    Latest
    World Health Organization
    University of Oxford

    Latest

    Price-hike for the entire Volkswagen line-up in India in April Volkswagen
    OTT: Prime Video greenlights German feature 'Trunk' OTT releases
    The world now has fewer billionaires: Here's what happened India
    Russian musician known for anti-Putin war songs dies at 35 Russia

    World Health Organization

    WHO lambasts China for allegedly hiding data on COVID-19's origin COVID-19
    Nagpur: 15-year-old delivers baby after watching online videos, kills newborn Nagpur
    Gambia: CDC links child deaths to Indian-made syrup United States of America
    India records over 300 COVID-19 cases after nearly 100 days COVID-19 India

    University of Oxford

    COVID-19 increases risk of brain fog, dementia: Study COVID-19
    Oxford University testing COVID-19 vaccine in children Coronavirus
    Over 10 lakh inoculated, India's vaccination drive picks pace India
    Sleeves up! Coronavirus vaccination drive could begin on January 13 Union Health Ministry

    Love World News?

    Subscribe to stay updated.

    World Thumbnail
    Indian Premier League (IPL) Celebrity Hollywood Bollywood UEFA Champions League Tennis Football Smartphones Cryptocurrency Upcoming Movies Premier League Cricket News Latest automobiles Latest Cars Upcoming Cars Latest Bikes Upcoming Tablets
    About Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Contact Us Ethical Conduct Grievance Redressal News News Archive Topics Archive Download DevBytes Find Cricket Statistics
    Follow us on
    Facebook Twitter Linkedin
    All rights reserved © NewsBytes 2023