[Multibilly]

New study: Dexamethasone reduces deaths from COVID-19

by Multibilly on Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:19 am

Interesting article on using dexamethasone to treat severe COVID-19 cases:

"Major study finds common steroid reduces deaths among patients with severe Covid-19," Stat News, June 16, 2020 (full text of article).

Press release which the article is based upon:

"Low-Cost Dexamethasone Reduces Death By Up To One Third In Hospitalised Patients With Severe Respiratory Complications Of COVID-19," University of Oxford, June 16, 2020.

[Ron Harvot]

Re: New study: Dexamethasone reduces deaths from COVID-19

by Ron Harvot on Tue Jun 16, 2020 12:18 pm

Just saw the news as well, Multibilly. The drug we all love to hate, dexamethasone, could be an important treatment for severe COVID-19!

"Steroid drug hailed as 'breakthrough' for seriously ill COVID-19 patients," Reuters, June 16, 2020 (full text of article)

[Nancy Shamanna]

Re: New study: Dexamethasone reduces deaths from COVID-19

by Nancy Shamanna on Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:10 am

Isn't that interesting? I think that this steroid is used in this study in cases of very ill people suffering from COVID-19. Anyways, for once I thought that maybe my weekly dex might be helpful for more than the myeloma treatments.

[Mike F]

Re: New study: Dexamethasone reduces deaths from COVID-19

by Mike F on Wed Jun 17, 2020 10:51 am

I saw that news and thought, "Great, now a whole new group of people can be introduced to the wonders of dexamethasone."

Seriously, though, it's very good to finally have something that helps with COVID-19.

[borber]

Re: New study: Dexamethasone reduces deaths from COVID-19

by borber on Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:48 am

Seems interesting they stated in press release there are no benefit for those who are not on oxygen:

"There was no benefit among those patients who did not require respiratory support (1.22 [0.86 to 1.75]; p=0.14).”

But at the same time it seems just no one looked at it for post-exposure prophylaxis. If it work for prophylaxis then I would imagine most of us are covered.

[Cheryl G]

Re: New study: Dexamethasone reduces deaths from COVID-19

by Cheryl G on Tue Jun 23, 2020 7:36 am

A draft of the full paper with the first results of the dexamethasone study is now available online as a PDF:

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.22.20137273v1.full.pdf

Keep in mind that this is a draft of the paper presenting and discussing the study results. The draft is still undergoing peer review and has not yet been accepted for publication.