Finally, there is some much-needed COVID-19 good news. A large trial has found that dexamethasone, a cheap and widely available steroid, decreased the risk of death in COVID-19 patients. Dexamethasone is on the shelf, available, and cheap. These preliminary results, which have not been peer-reviewed, suggest the drug should become standard care in COVID-19 severe patients.
The large “Randomized Evaluation of COVid-19 thERapY” (RECOVERY) Trial announced the results on Tuesday. They stated that dexamethasone reduced deaths by one-third in ventilated patients and by 20% in patients receiving oxygen. There was no benefit among those patients who did not require respiratory support.
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