Extensive Study in the UK involving 1,700 patients showed consistent benefits from steroid treatment.
A new analysis of several studies in the UK which steroid drugs were used to determine effectiveness for treating COVID-19 found that they significantly reduced patient deaths, bolstering early, preliminary evidence for the benefit of these medications.
Key Findings:
In numerous studies 1700 participants received corticosteroids an anti-inflammatory drug that can damp the effects of an overactive Immune System. The results showed a reduction in the death rate by almost one third, compared with patients who did not receive the treatment.
Scientists and physicians convened by the World Health Organization found that of 678 severely ill patients who received steroids, 32.7% died in comparison to the 41.5% receiving routine care or a placebo.
These findings should lead to wide acceptance of steroids as one line of treatment for Covid-19. However, steroids only appear to be beneficial in the very sickest hospitalizedpatients. the drug’s effectiveness it appears to damp a hyperactive immune response referred to as a cytokine storm which is thought to be a major cause of death in some Covid-19 patients.
The World Health Organization issued updated guidelines on Wednesday (September 2nd) which recommends treating patients with steroids who have a severe or critical case of COVID.
Before the U.K. study results were released, the use of steroids was controversial in treating Covid-19 patients with severe respiratory failure because of mixed results using the drugs for other illnesses, such as sepsis.
Source:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-deaths-significantly-reduced-by-use-of-steroids-analysis-says-11599055201?mod=hp_lead_pos6
By Joseph Walker