Dexamethasone: WHO welcomes news of breakthrough COVID-19 treatment
- The World Health Organization has welcomed the initial clinical trial results that show Dexamethasone can help tackle COVID-19
- The drug showed hope for patients who require ventilators and oxygen support
- This is the first treatment that has shown promise in reducing fatalities in severe cases
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The World Health Organization has welcomed the breakthrough in the battle against COVID-19.
YEN.com.gh reported that a University of Oxford study into the effectiveness of existing treatments against the virus had found Dexamethasone, a steroid, had helped to reduce deaths in severe cases.
The organisation had confirmed that the study had shown success when it came to patients on ventilators and oxygen:
"For patients on ventilators, the treatment was shown to reduce mortality by about one third, and for patients requiring only oxygen, mortality was cut by about one fifth, according to preliminary findings shared with WHO. The benefit was only seen in patients seriously ill with Covid-19, and was not observed in patients with milder disease."
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Commenting on this desperately-needed breakthrough, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, commented:
“This is the first treatment to be shown to reduce mortality in patients with Covid-19 requiring oxygen or ventilator support. This is great news and I congratulate the government of the UK, the University of Oxford and the many hospitals and patients in the UK who have contributed to this lifesaving scientific breakthrough.”
The entity says that this study reinforced the importance of similar studies amid the global pandemic:
"The findings reinforce the importance of large randomised control trials that produce actionable evidence. WHO will continue to work together with all partners to further develop lifesaving therapeutics and vaccines to tackle Covid-19 including under the umbrella of the Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator."
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Source: YEN.com.gh
