WHO stresses that dexamethasone should only be used for critically ill coronavirus patients (File)
Geneva:
The World Health Organization on Monday called for a rapid increase in the production of the steroid dexamethasone, after British clinical trials revealed that it had survival potential for critically ill coronavirus patients.
Researchers led by a team from the University of Oxford have administered dexamethasone to more than 2,000 critically ill patients hospitalized with the new coronavirus.
Among those who could only breathe with the help of a ventilator, it reduced deaths by 35%.
“Although the data is still preliminary, the recent discovery that the steroid dexamethasone has the potential to save lives for critically ill COVID-19 patients has given us a well-deserved reason to celebrate,” said the chief of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a virtual press conference in Geneva. .
“The next challenge is to increase production and distribute Dexamethasone quickly and fairly worldwide, focusing where it is most needed.”
“Demand has already surged, following the results of a trial in the United Kingdom showing the clear advantage of dexamethasone.”
“Fortunately, it is an inexpensive drug and there are many manufacturers of dexamethasone around the world who we believe can speed up production.”
A low-dose steroid, dexamethasone has been on the market for over 60 years and is generally used to reduce inflammation.
The WHO stresses that dexamethasone should only be used for patients with a serious or critical illness, under close clinical supervision.
There is no evidence that the drug works for patients with mild illness or as a preventative, and it could cause harm, said Tedros.
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide has exceeded nine million, according to a count by AFP using official sources.
“It seems like almost every day we hit a new grim record,” said Tedros.
“Some countries continue to see a rapid increase in cases and deaths.”
The United Nations health agency has said it ships over 140 million items of personal protective equipment, 14,000 oxygen concentrators and millions of tests to 135 countries.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
