This article is culled from various researches around the world but specially put in perspective by HENRY TYOHEMBA for Leadership Weekend Research
Dexamethasone is an anti-inflammatory drug which has been hailed as a ground-breaking treatment for hospital patients seriously ill with Covid-19. Immediately the drug came on board, World Health Organization (WHO) said it was moving to update its guidelines on treating people stricken with COVID-19 to reflect results of a clinical trial that showed a cheap, common steroid can help save critically ill patients. A UK trial showed the drug could save lives – the first internationally to do so – and it can be used in the NHS immediately.
What Is Dexamethasone?
Dexamethasone is a steroid – a medicine that reduces inflammation by mimicking anti-inflammatory hormones produced by the body.
How does it work?
This drug works by dampening down the body’s immune system when it comes to Covid-19 both the virus itself and the body’s reaction in fighting it off cause inflammation. But sometimes the immune system goes into overdrive and it’s this reaction that can prove fatal – the very reaction designed to attack infection ends up attacking the body’s own cells. It’s only suitable for people who are already in hospital and receiving oxygen or mechanical ventilation – the most unwell. The drug does not work on people with milder symptoms, and suppressing their immune system at this point would not be helpful.
Effectiveness
According to the scientists who carried out the trials, one in three deaths could be prevented among patients on ventilators. For patients on oxygen, it could prevent one death in five. There was no significant benefit for patients who were not receiving respiratory support.
The Trial
The results come from the Recovery (Randomised Evaluation of Covid-19 therapy) trial, conducted by the University of Oxford. It’s testing whether existing medicines used for other conditions could also be useful in treating Covid-19. About 2,100 patients received a 6mg daily dose of dexamethasone in the trial.
Their progress was compared with a random sample of just over 4,300 patients who received no additional treatment. Scientists hope dexamethasone could eventually be used as part of a suite of drugs which, together, could reduce deaths even further. It is now recommended for adults, not including those who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Availability
Dexamethasone is a lowcost drug which already exists and is in good supply. In the UK the treatment will cost £5.40 a day per patient. It was first made in 1957 and became available for use in the UK in the early 1960s. Because it’s been around for such a long time, the drug is out of patent. That means lots of different companies can make it and it is widely available around the world. This is particularly good news for developing countries and the World Health Organization has welcomed these trial results. The Department of Health and Social Care says the drug has also been added to the government’s parallel export list, which bans companies from buying medicines meant for UK patients and selling them on for a higher price in another country.
What Other Conditions Is It Used For?
The drug can help treat various illnesses involving inflammation or swelling in the body, or conditions where the immune system goes into overdrive – for example, severe asthma which can cause inflammation in the airways and lungs, severe allergic reactions or painful, inflamed joints. Dexamethasone is also useful in autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, which are caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the body.
Are There Any Side-Effects?
Common side effects of dexamethasone used for other conditions include anxiety, difficulty sleeping, weight gain and fluid retention. Rarer side effects include eye disorders, blurred vision and haemorrhage.
However, coronavirus patients only need a relatively low dose which should limit side effects. The Chief Medical Officer for England said there were “no excess harms identified in using this dose of dexamethasone in this patient population”.
