New studies confirm that multiple types of steroids improve survival for severely ill COVID-19 patients, cementing the cheap drugs as a standard of care.
An analysis of pooled results from seven studies, led by the World Health Organization and published today by the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that steroids reduce the risk of death in the first month by about one-third compared to placebo treatment or usual care alone in these seriously ill patients who need extra oxygen.
“This result opens up more choices” of steroids, says Dr. Martin Landray of the University of Oxford, who led one of the studies. “The more options there are in terms of availability, the better.”
Illustrative: A bottle and box for the steroid dexamethasone (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Dr. Anthony Gordon of Imperial College London calls the result “a huge step forward,” but adds, “as impressive as these results are, it’s not a cure.”
Steroid drugs are inexpensive, widely available and have been used for decades. They reduce inflammation, which sometimes develops in coronavirus patients as the immune system overreacts to fight the infection. This overreaction damages the lungs and can prove fatal. These drugs are not the same type of steroids that are used or misused for athletic performance.
— AP
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