{"id":27754,"date":"2020-06-16T23:19:59","date_gmt":"2020-06-16T17:49:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kashmir.today\/coronavirus-dexamethasone-proves-first-life-saving-drug\/"},"modified":"2020-06-16T23:19:59","modified_gmt":"2020-06-16T17:49:59","slug":"coronavirus-dexamethasone-proves-first-life-saving-drug","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kashmir.watch\/?p=27754","title":{"rendered":"Coronavirus | Dexamethasone proves first life-saving drug"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A cheap and widely available drug can help save the lives of patients seriously ill with coronavirus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The low-dose steroid treatment dexamethasone is a major breakthrough in the fight against the deadly virus, UK experts say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drug is part of\u00a0the world’s biggest trial testing existing treatments\u00a0to see if they also work for coronavirus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo Credit: Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It cut the risk of death by a third for patients on ventilators. For those on oxygen, it cut deaths by a fifth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Had the drug had been used to treat patients in the UK from the start of the pandemic, up to 5,000 lives could have been saved, researchers say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it could be of huge benefit in poorer countries with high numbers of Covid-19 patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UK government has 200,000 courses of the drug in its stockpile and says the NHS will make dexamethasone available to patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there was a genuine case to celebrate “a remarkable British scientific achievement”, adding: “We have taken steps to ensure we have enough supplies, even in the event of a second peak.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chief Medical Officer for England Prof Chris Whitty said it would save lives around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 19 out of 20 patients with coronavirus recover without being admitted to hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of those who are admitted, most also recover but some may need oxygen or mechanical ventilation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And these are the high-risk patients dexamethasone appears to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drug is already used to reduce inflammation in a range of other conditions, including arthritis, asthma and skin some conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it appears to help stop some of the damage that can happen when the body’s immune system goes into overdrive as it tries to fight off coronavirus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This over-reaction, a cytokine storm<\/a>, can be deadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the trial, led by a team from Oxford University, about 2,000 hospital patients were given dexamethasone and compared with more than 4,000 who were not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For patients on ventilators, it cut the risk of death from 40% to 28%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For patients needing oxygen, it cut the risk of death from 25% to 20%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chief investigator Prof Peter Horby said: “This is the only drug so far that has been shown to reduce mortality – and it reduces it significantly. It’s a major breakthrough.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lead researcher Prof Martin Landray said the findings suggested one life could be saved for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n