Preliminary results of a COVID-19 clinical trial with dexamethasone have shown that the drug lowered the risk of death by a fifth for patients on oxygen and by a third for those connected to a ventilator. ‍

Dexamethasone, a steroid medication, is already being used for the treatment of a variety of conditions, such as asthma. It’s the only drug so far that was shown to lower the risk of dying from the coronavirus.

The clinical trial called RECOVERY took place in the UK and included over 11,500 coronavirus patients in 175 hospitals. In addition to dexamethasone, other drugs took part in the clinical trial, but only the steroid medication proved its efficacy.

The trial compared the health outcomes of 4321 patients who received standard treatment and 2104 patients who were treated with dexamethasone. The preliminary clinical trial outcomes indicate that out of 25 coronavirus patients receiving oxygen, and out of 8 patients on ventilators, one patient can be saved in each group.

If it had been part of standard care from the beginning of the pandemic, the steroid could have saved as many as 5000 lives in the UK. 

Dexamethasone should not be used unless prescribed by a medical professional.