The steroid dexamethasone was shown Tuesday to be the first drug to significantly reduce the risk of death among severe COVID-19 cases, in trial results hailed as a
Britain’s Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the country’s patients would start to receive the drug immediately.
Among those who could only breathe with the help of a ventilator, dexamethasone reduced deaths by one third, and by one-fifth in other patients receiving oxygen only, according to preliminary results. The trial, carried out by the RECOVERY research group that is searching for effective COVID-19 treatments, included a control group of 4,000 patients who did not receive the drug.
A number of existing drugs have been trialled as a treatment against the novel coronavirus, with mixed results. Remdesivir, an anti-viral that appears to reduce the length of treatment in some patients, is already being used in Britain, but one study in April showed it had “no significant clinical benefit”.
Nigeria Latest News, Nigeria Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Breakthrough Beckons as Trial Shows UK Drug, Dexamethasone, Reduces COVID-19 Death Rate - THISDAYLIVEBy Martins Ifijeh There appears to be a major breakthrough in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic as dexamethasone, a cheap and widely available low-dose steroid drug, has shown efficacy for preventing critically ill COVID-19 patients from dying, according to a BBC report. The drug is part of the world’s biggest existing medicine under clinical trial …
Read more »
Revealing COVID-19 patients’ names unethical –Experts - HealthwiseBy Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis Health professionals say it is unethical for health workers from the ministry of health or the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to reveal names or privileged information of people who tested positive to COVID-19. The statement was in reaction to calls by Nigerians to release details about COVID-19 patients following a New York …
Read more »
BREAKING: 420 dead as Nigeria’s COVID-19 cases exceed 16,000
Read more »
How science can expedite solution to COVID-19 problem – Experts - HealthwiseLARA ADEJORO Scientists and researchers have stated that the scientific approach is key when dealing with a global public health issue. They said that the use of science in policy-making is now imperative to providing solutions to infectious diseases like COVID-19. The experts, which include President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Prof. Innocent Ujah and …
Read more »
I couldn’t tell mum I had COVID-19 – Corps member
Read more »