Explainer | Dexamethasone: the ‘cheap, old, boring’ drug that could be a Covid-19 life saver

Name: Steroid dexamethasone a life-saving treatment for very ill Covid-19 patients, UK study indicates
Uploaded: 2020-06-18T03:45:12.000Z
Duration: 1 min 43 s
Description: Steroid dexamethasone a life-saving treatment for very ill Covid-19 patients, UK study indicates

Researchers have calculated that giving dexamethasone to eight Covid-19 patients who needed mechanical ventilation would prevent one from dying

The drug, which has been around since the 1950s and is widely available, could be easily added to the roster of current coronavirus treatments

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A container of the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone is displayed by a pharmacist. Photo: Reuters

Nial Wheate

Published: 11:45am, 18 Jun 2020Updated: 3:43pm, 18 Jun 2020

First, we tried the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine. Then we tested the antiviral drug remdesivir. But new UK research gives the strongest indication yet we may have found a useful treatment for Covid-19.

This time it’s an anti-inflammatory drug, dexamethasone, which has been described as cheap, old and boring.

01:43

Steroid dexamethasone a life-saving treatment for very ill Covid-19 patients, UK study indicates

Preliminary results from a clinical trial just released indicate the drug seems to reduce your chance of dying from Covid-19 if you’re in hospital and need oxygen or a machine to help you breathe.

The results were significant enough for the UK to recommend its use for severe Covid-19.

Before we roll it out in Australia, we need to balance the drug’s risks with its benefits after peer review of the full trial data.

What is dexamethasone?

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