Steroid drug hailed as 'breakthrough' for seriously ill COVID-19 patients


  • World
  • Wednesday, 17 Jun 2020

A pharmacist displays a box of Dexamethasone at the Erasme Hospital amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Brussels, Belgium, June 16, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman

LONDON (Reuters) - A cheap and widely used steroid called dexamethasone has become the first drug shown to be able to save the lives of COVID-19 patients in what scientists said is a "major breakthrough" in the coronavirus pandemic.

Trial results announced on Tuesday showed dexamethasone, which is used to reduce inflammation in other diseases such as arthritis, reduced death rates by around a third among the most severely ill COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital.

Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM5/month

Billed as RM5/month for the 1st 6 months then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In World

Russia will strike in unexpected places this summer, Ukraine says
Sixteen dead, 28 missing after boat capsizes off Djibouti coast - U.N. agency
India's Modi calls rivals pro-Muslim as election campaign changes tack
Russia to step up strikes on Western weapons in Ukraine
Judge tells Trump lawyer in hush money trial he is 'losing all credibility'
Azerbaijan asks World Court to move forward with Armenia discrimination case
TikTok risks fines as EU issues ultimatum over app launch
TikTok’s crackdown on Ozempic influencers threatens weight-loss drug hype machine
Russia's Belgorod region says 120 civilians killed by Ukraine strikes since 2022
Migrants drown in English Channel hours after UK passes Rwanda policy

Others Also Read