While the rush for the COVID-19 vaccine is on and Hydroxychloroquine has shown limited effect a new drug is showing results. A cheap and widely available drug has come to the rescue of people who are under critical conditions for COVID-19. The drug has also shown a reduction in the death rate.
The drug we are talking about is dexamethasone. This drug which is used in the treatment of many conditions, including rheumatic problems, a number of skin diseases, severe allergies, asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease has been the first life-saving drug against COVID-19.
Dexamethasone has proven its efficacy by reducing the death rate by a third for patients on ventilators. For those on oxygen, it cut deaths by a fifth. As per reports from BBC the researchers have said that if the drug was used earlier in UK 5,000 lives could have been saved. Since it is a cheap drug it can be very helpful in saving lives in poor and middle-income countries.
The BBC’s report says that about 19 out of 20 patients with coronavirus recovered without being admitted to hospital on the administration of the drug. For high-risk patients, dexamethasone appears to help. The news has bought hope of positivity in the world downed by the pandemic till the vaccine comes.
