Some good news on #COVID19: cheap, widely available drugs called corticosteroids can cut deaths among the sickest Covid patients by 20 per cent, according to a new analysis.
Doctors from around the world pooled data on 1,703 seriously ill coronavirus patients. Around 32 out of 100 people given corticosteroids died, compared to 40 out of 100 patients who received normal care.
Corticosteroids lower inflammation and suppress the immune system. They are very cheap, widely used around the world, have been around for decades and appear to work in low doses.
The UK's RECOVERY trials had already shown in June that dexamethasone cut mortality rates in very ill patients. The new results confirm that result and mean intensive care units around the world are likely to start using corticosteroids immediately to save lives.
Link to the meta-analysis is here: jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/…
