Life-saving steroid

Amid the global race for a Covid-19 vaccine, an inexpensive, widely available steroid — dexamethasone — has offered a ray of hope for critically ill patients. The outcome of the RECOVERY (Randomised Evaluation of COVid-19 thERapY) trial, conducted on about 2,100 patients in the UK by a team led by researchers from Oxford University, has been encouraging. The drug has been found to reduce the risk of death by one-third in patients on ventilator and by one-fifth in those requiring oxygen alone. Dexamethasone has been in use since the 1960s to treat a wide range of conditions, from rheumatoid arthritis to asthma and skin ailments. With over 41,000 fatalities, the UK is among the countries worst hit by the pandemic. According to researchers, up to 5,000 lives could have been saved in Britain, had this drug been used for treatment right away after the outbreak was reported.

The steroid can be especially beneficial for India, which is recording thousands of Covid cases and hundreds of deaths on a daily basis. The country has a very high recovery rate as the cured patients far outnumber the active cases. The mortality rate is relatively low (around 3%), but it’s still a cause for concern, and that’s why India urgently needs a lifesaver. As per estimates, it costs less than Rs 5,000 to save a life with low-dose dexamethasone.

Dexamethasone is expected to work in cases where antiviral drug remdesivir may not prove effective. Remdesivir, which has been used for ebola, apparently shortens the recovery time for Covid patients, but the evidence is not solid enough to establish whether it also reduces mortality. Though India, the US and a few other countries have approved this drug for emergency use, its limited supply is turning out to be a stumbling block. Another challenge for the Indian government is to block remdesivir imports from unauthorised suppliers based in countries such as Bangladesh. Given the desperate situation, well-regulated use of dexamethasone can turn the tide and lessen the lethal impact of the virus that has ravaged developed as well as developing countries around the world.