By Dr Ifeanyi Jude Okafor

July 17, 2020

Scientists across the globe are racing to find the best treatment for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, which has sickened more than 12 million people worldwide while the death toll nears 550,000 based on current data.


On Tuesday, 16 June, 2020, scientists in Britain announced a major breakthrough in the battle against COVID-19, reporting they had found the first drug to prevent deaths among seriously ill COVID-19 patients.


The scientists from Britain’s University of Oxford say a research show the drug dexamethasone can reduce death rates and save lives in seriously ill COVID-19 patients.

What is dexamethasone?


Dexamethasone is a steroid with an immunosuppressant and anti-inflammatory effect. This means that it can dampen the immune system and reduce inflammation in the body. It does this by mimicking anti-inflammatory hormones produced by the body.


The drug is used to reduce inflammation in a range of medical conditions, including arthritis, allergies and asthma.


Dexamethasone is low-cost and has been in the market since the 1960s, meaning that it is readily available in many parts of the world and in adequate supply.

How effective is the drug?


The drug was tested in the RECOVERY (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 therapy) Trial by Oxford University in the UK. In the trial, about 2,100 patients received a 6mg daily dose of dexamethasone for 10 days. Their progress was compared with a random sample of just over 4,300 patients who received no additional treatment.


The university enrolled over 11,500 patients overall to test existing drugs, making it by far the biggest clinical trial in the world till date.


The scientists said, preliminary results show that for patients on mechanical ventilation, dexamethasone can reduce the risk of death from 40% to 28%. And for those being given supplemental oxygen, the drug can reduce fatalities from 25 to 20%. There were no substantial side effects.


The Oxford scientists believe that if dexamethasone had been used sooner in Britain, it could have saved about 5,000 of the more than 40,000 Britons who so far have died of COVID-19.

How does the drug work?


Experts believe dexamethasone works by dampening down the body’s immune system.


In the most severely ill COVID-19 patients, the immune system can fly into a harmful overdrive mode, triggering a hyperinflammatory state—a cytokine storm—that may cause unintentional damage to various organs in the body, including the lungs. The very reaction designed to attack the virus ends up attacking the body’s own cells.

In this situation, dexamethasone treatment will help calm the immune system and increase the person’s chances of survival.

Any benefit for those with milder illness?


Dexamethasone has proven to be life saving for patients who have severe COVID-19 and need help with breathing only. The steroid treatment does not help people with a more mild COVID-19 illness, which accounts for most cases. Nor has dexamethasone been shown to prevent COVID-19 infections.


In the U.K. study, dexamethasone non-significantly increased death rate in COVID-19 patients with milder illness.


Consequently, some experts have warned that it may not be safe to use dexamethasone in patients with mild COVID-19 illness. They are of the opinion that in these category of patients, the risks of the medication likely outweigh the benefits.

What are the side effects of dexamethasone?


While prolonged use of dexamethasone may be associated with a sobering list of adverse effects, the use of the drug for a few days or even a week is generally free of significant side effects. The Oxford study used a low-to-moderate dose for ten days and there was no substantial side effects.


However, some of the common side effects of dexamethasone include:
• Increased appetite
• Aggression
• Agitation
• Mood changes
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Tingling in arms and legs
• Irregular heartbea


https://www.yourhealthng.com.ng/2020/07/17/dexamethasone-first-drug-shown-to-save-lives-of-patients-ill-with-covid-19/

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