Will Dexamethasone anti-inflammatory drug be the miracle drug against the Corona virus?

Will dexamethasone anti-inflammatory drug be the miracle drug against the Corona virus?

After scientists at the University of Oxford announced the success of an anti-inflammatory drug called dexamethasone which is classified under the category of steroid medicines, the research continues about the drug and its uses. The low-cost, widely used anti-inflammatory dexamethasone drug has proven to improve survival in Covid-19 patients, the first treatment to show "life-saving promise" months after a pandemic spread.
The results, described as a “major breakthrough” by scientists leading the UK-led clinical trial known as RECOVERY, suggest the drug should immediately become standard care in patients treated in hospital with the pandemic disease, the researchers said.

Pakistan on Wednesday said it is considering to use steroid dexamethasone, which has been shown to reduce the risk of death by up to one-third among severely ill coronavirus patients, as the COVID-19 death toll crossed 3,000 in the country.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza tweeted that an experts' committee would decide to include the drug for treatment of critically ill patients.Oxford University Researchers in England say they have the first evidence that the cheap and widely available anti-inflammatory steroid can improve survival from COVID-19. Results released Tuesday show it reduced deaths by up to one third in severely ill hospitalised patients. The drug did not appear to help less ill patients.

The UK government on Wednesday authorized the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) to use the drug.

Mirza in a tweet said, "Positive results from the UK on use of dexamethaone in critical patients welcomed by WHO as a 1st treatment to be shown to reduce mortality in patients with COVID-19 requiring Oxygen or ventilator support. Expert Committee in Pakistan to consider inclusion."

In another tweet, he said the drug was only for critically ill COVID-19 patients and must not be used by patients suffering mild to moderate symptoms as the medicine may be dangerous due to its side effects.
The Egyptian Medicines Authority said in a statement on Tuesday that dexamethasone, one of the cortisone preparations, is known for its many side effects, and that its use without medical or medical supervision may lead to exposure to many risks.

The Egyptian Medicines Authority stated that the medication would cause "the risk of suppressing immunity, swelling of the face and limbs, changing vision, pain and muscle weakness, slow wound healing, stomach bleeding, seizures, high blood sugar, high blood pressure and heart failure."

The authority indicated that dexamethasone is still in the stage of clinical studies and studies, as its testing was limited to some cases infected with Corona virus that are placed on ventilators only and under medical supervision in hospitals.

The authority warned against taking any treatment without consulting the specialized medical team and the need to take all necessary precautions to confront and prevent the spread of the Corona virus, and to refer to health service providers.

His co-lead investigator, Peter Horby, said dexamethasone — a generic steroid widely used in other diseases to reduce inflammation — is “the only drug that’s so far shown to reduce mortality — and it reduces it significantly.”
“It is a major breakthrough,” he said.