Health minister Zweli Mkhize said the drug is used in allergic reactions including asthma and is known for its anti-inflammatory properties.
Dexamethasone, a common steroid, could potentially reduce death rates among Covid-19 patients. This is according to clinical results released by UK experts on Tuesday., dexamethasone is a steroid which has been used since the 1960s, and is recognised for its ability to reduce inflammatory disorders and certain cancers.professor co-leading the trial, said it will be difficult to find another drug or vaccine that will potentially replace “life-saving” dexamethasone, which is also affordable.
“This is a result that shows that if patients who have Covid-19 and are on ventilators or are on oxygen are given dexamethasone, it will save lives, and it will do so at a remarkably low cost.”The World Health Organisation's Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the study revealed that the benefit of the drug was seen in both mildly ill and severely ill patients. He said this is the first treatment that has been proven to significantly reduce death rates among Covid-19 sufferers.
Over 11,500 patients from different hospitals in the UK have participated in the trial so far, making it the world's biggest trial testing, according toIt reported on Wednesday morning that experts said up to 5,000 lives lost to Covid-19 could have been saved, had the drug been used at the start of the pandemic in the UK.reported on Wednesday morning, that health minister Zweli Mkhize described the trial as “an important breakthrough” in the management of Covid-19.
“We are extremely excited that there has been an important breakthrough in one of the therapeutic trials for Covid-19 management. “The RECOVERY trial has published results on the therapeutic merits of low dose dexamethasone which are extremely promising and are easily implementable in our country.”
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