United Kingdom – A new drug had been introduced to the UK pharmaceutical markets as an anti-inflammatory to help stop the adverse effects of when the COVID-19 virus infected the body, possibly saving the lives of the infected.
Dexamethasone is a ground-breaking drug that can save the lives of COVID-19 positive patients who already have difficulty with breathing as a result of the inflammation caused by the body trying to fight off the virus. It is a steroid that works to mimic anti-inflammatory hormones in the body to prompt the reaction of fighting off inflammation in the body.
The drug is recommended with people in the hospital who are receiving oxygen or mechanical ventilation – the bed-ridden and severely affected.
Dexamethasone should not be used with people who are symptomatic as the anti-inflammatory dampens the immune system which would do more hard than good in a healthy person.
Patients on ventilators and in need of oxygen are the most prime patients to use this drug as the drug was said to save one in three patients with ventilators and save one in five on patients on oxygen.
The University of Oxford were the ones conducted and tested the drug under the RECOVERY (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy). The discovery of the results were well documented in that they are already determined to have more tests with the drug to open up a suite of other drugs to help reduce the deaths from COVID-19 further.
The Drug is currently recommended for adults at 6mg of a daily dose for 10 days. It is not recommended for women who are breastfeeding or pregnant as it would drop the immunity for the mother and child.
The drug already exists in pharmacies at a low cost with a good supply in stock as it was stockpiled by the U.K government to treat 20,0000 patients should there be a need for the drug.
Dexamethasone has been out of patent for such a long time being an old drug in the pharmaceutical world that this revelation means any pharmaceutical company may replicate the drug meaning it would be abundant in supply in the foreseeable future from many different brands.
The World Health Organization has applauded the test results pushing for more therapies to combat the milder symptoms. The drug has already started selling worldwide.
