WHO Agrees That Dexamethasone Can Save The Lives Of COVID-19 Patients

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomes clinical trial results from the University of Oxford, England that show dexamethasone can save the lives of critical COVID-19 patients. WHO believes this drug is proven to reduce the death of new corona virus patients.

Quoting the WHO website, this treatment is effective for curing critical COVID-19 patients. In patients with conditions requiring a ventilator, this drug is able to treat a third of the total patients studied. Meanwhile, for patients who need oxygen the death rate can be reduced by as much as one fifth. However, this drug is still untested for the treatment of COVID-19 patients with mild conditions.

"This is the first treatment shown to reduce the mortality rate in COVID-19 patients who need oxygen support or a ventilator," said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "This is great news and I congratulate the British Government, the University of Oxford and the many hospitals and patients in the UK who have contributed to this life-saving scientific breakthrough," he said.

Quoting CNBC Indonesia, the results of the Oxford University study published Tuesday (16/6) prove that dexamethasone can reduce the death rate from COVID-19. The trial was conducted by comparing the results of 2,100 patients who received the drug, with 4,300 other patients who were given other drugs.

Dexamethasone is a steroid hormone-containing drug that has been used since the 1960s to reduce inflammation in a variety of conditions. These include certain inflammatory and cancer disorders. This drug has been listed on the WHO Essential Drug Model List since 1977 and is currently out of patent and is available at affordable prices in many countries.

Oxford researchers have reported the results of their study with WHO. They will initiate a meta-analysis to enhance a comprehensive understanding of these findings.

WHO clinical guidelines will be updated to explain how and when drugs should be used in COVID-19. WHO will continue to work with all partners to further develop rescue therapies and vaccines to tackle COVID-19.