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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...xamethasone-what-we-know-drug-may-help-covid-
The link may not work so here is the meat of the article. This was on NBC Nightly New on 06/16
A team of researchers in England has discovered that an affordable, widely available steroid has shown promise in improving survival outcomes in COVID-19 patients.
Dexamethasone, a common steroid used to treat inflammation, was found to cut deaths by up to one-third in a study of more than 6,000 severely ill patients. More than 2,100 received the drug.
Although the British government has authorized its use among some patients, it remains unclear how beneficial the treatment may be for less severe COVID-19 cases. Further, it has not been peer-reviewed or replicated in other studies.
“This is a significant improvement in the available therapeutic options that we have,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ top infectious disease expert.
What we know about the potentially lifesaving treatment:
What is dexamethasone?
Usually prescribed as an oral or intravenous steroid, dexamethasone is a general purpose anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling drug used for a variety of conditions, said Dr. Onyema Ogbuagu, an infectious disease doctor and associate professor of medicine at Yale.
Dexamethasone is unique, he says, in that it is a glucoocorticoid.
Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at New York City's Lenox Hill Hospital, said dexamethasone also has a half-life of up to 54 hours. That helps "to assure a therapeutic level of medication to treat ongoing inflammation."
Like other steroids, however, "it is a non-specific treatment not necessarily targeting a single, specific pathway of inflammation or swelling," Ogbuagu says. That has its drawbacks.
How is it used to treat COVID-19 patients?
Generally, COVID-19 comes in two phases, explains Ogbuagu.
"People get the virus, it replicates, and that's the first phase of the illness," he said. "Afterward, around 10 days into the infection, people start to produce antibodies and inflammatory reactions to the virus."
These inflammatory chemicals can sometimes create severe COVID-19 complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, which makes it difficult for oxygen to enter the bloodstream and reach organs.
Patients with severe COVID-19 complications saw significant benefits with dexamethasone in the United Kingdom study. These patients took it for 10 days, either orally or via IV.
After a month, it had reduced deaths by 35% in patients who needed treatment with breathing machines and by 20% in those needing supplemental oxygen. It did not appear to help less ill patients.
Some studies, Ogbuagu says, also have suggested that steroids such as dexamethasone are helpful in improving mortality rates among people with ARDS.
Are there complications?
Ogbuagu notes that timing and selectiveness among patients is critical to ensure dexamethasone is properly used as a treatment for COVID-19.
Early findings suggest COVID-19 patients who do not have severe symptoms, such as requiring a respirator, should not take dexamethazone.
"The downside of steroids is that it's not selective," Ogbuagu said. "It's a double-edged sword that may hinder your body's ability to fight the virus."
He noted that some studies have found higher mortality rates in people who used steroids, since they inhibit the body's immune response to the virus.
The World Health Organization and other organizations advise against using steroids earlier in the course of illness because they can impede clearing the virus.
Ogbuagu also says that steroids, in general, may cause some severe side effects, such as new or worsening diabetes, as well as psychosis or emotional disturbance
The link may not work so here is the meat of the article. This was on NBC Nightly New on 06/16
A team of researchers in England has discovered that an affordable, widely available steroid has shown promise in improving survival outcomes in COVID-19 patients.
Dexamethasone, a common steroid used to treat inflammation, was found to cut deaths by up to one-third in a study of more than 6,000 severely ill patients. More than 2,100 received the drug.
Although the British government has authorized its use among some patients, it remains unclear how beneficial the treatment may be for less severe COVID-19 cases. Further, it has not been peer-reviewed or replicated in other studies.
“This is a significant improvement in the available therapeutic options that we have,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ top infectious disease expert.
What we know about the potentially lifesaving treatment:
What is dexamethasone?
Usually prescribed as an oral or intravenous steroid, dexamethasone is a general purpose anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling drug used for a variety of conditions, said Dr. Onyema Ogbuagu, an infectious disease doctor and associate professor of medicine at Yale.
Dexamethasone is unique, he says, in that it is a glucoocorticoid.
Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at New York City's Lenox Hill Hospital, said dexamethasone also has a half-life of up to 54 hours. That helps "to assure a therapeutic level of medication to treat ongoing inflammation."
Like other steroids, however, "it is a non-specific treatment not necessarily targeting a single, specific pathway of inflammation or swelling," Ogbuagu says. That has its drawbacks.
How is it used to treat COVID-19 patients?
Generally, COVID-19 comes in two phases, explains Ogbuagu.
"People get the virus, it replicates, and that's the first phase of the illness," he said. "Afterward, around 10 days into the infection, people start to produce antibodies and inflammatory reactions to the virus."
These inflammatory chemicals can sometimes create severe COVID-19 complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, which makes it difficult for oxygen to enter the bloodstream and reach organs.
Patients with severe COVID-19 complications saw significant benefits with dexamethasone in the United Kingdom study. These patients took it for 10 days, either orally or via IV.
After a month, it had reduced deaths by 35% in patients who needed treatment with breathing machines and by 20% in those needing supplemental oxygen. It did not appear to help less ill patients.
Some studies, Ogbuagu says, also have suggested that steroids such as dexamethasone are helpful in improving mortality rates among people with ARDS.
Are there complications?
Ogbuagu notes that timing and selectiveness among patients is critical to ensure dexamethasone is properly used as a treatment for COVID-19.
Early findings suggest COVID-19 patients who do not have severe symptoms, such as requiring a respirator, should not take dexamethazone.
"The downside of steroids is that it's not selective," Ogbuagu said. "It's a double-edged sword that may hinder your body's ability to fight the virus."
He noted that some studies have found higher mortality rates in people who used steroids, since they inhibit the body's immune response to the virus.
The World Health Organization and other organizations advise against using steroids earlier in the course of illness because they can impede clearing the virus.
Ogbuagu also says that steroids, in general, may cause some severe side effects, such as new or worsening diabetes, as well as psychosis or emotional disturbance
