There may be a new ray of hope for COVID-19 victims. A well-known, easily available steroid seems to reduce mortality in critically ill patients, according to a controlled trial. The steroid, dexamethasone, was given to over 2,100 patients in the RECOVERY trials in the UK, and they were compared to a control group of over 4,300 patients who were not administered the drug.
This drug significantly reduces mortality, although it is not useful for milder cases. In the trial, it cut mortality rates by about one-third in patients on ventilators and reduced mortality about 20 per cent for patients on oxygen
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