Latest study: Steroids can reduce the mortality rate of critically ill covid patients by 20%

Reporter : Yuning / Editor : Chang Qing / Publisher : Sound Of Hope

Ref : https://www.soundofhope.org/post/417709

Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Image : Web Screenshot

The latest research results released by the University of Brisotore in the United Kingdom show that steroids including hydrocortisone, methylpenib cortisol (also known as methylprednisolone) and dexamethasone, can reduce the mortality rate of severely ill covid patients.

According to the Daily Mail, researchers from the University of Bristol, UK, published a research report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on 2 September 2020 and found that this batch of steroid drugs can reduce the mortality rate of severely ill covid patients by 20%. Evidence shows that this drug can reduce lung inflammation in severe covid patients. Moreover, these steroid drugs are cheap and safe to use, and because they are widely used, they have ready-made stocks in many countries.

Among them, hydrocortisone can reduce the mortality of patients with severe covid by 31%. Hydrocortisone is a drug for skin diseases, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, systemic diseases, lupus, multiple sclerosis and lung diseases. Another study found that intravenous hydrocortisone in severe covid patients can increase the recovery rate by 93%.

According to the report, this is the result of tests conducted by more than 50 teams in 13 countries from February to June this year on 1,703 patients in 13 countries, including 88 patients treated at the Imperial College Hospital in London. This makes hydrocortisone the second widely used steroid drug after dexamethasone. Scientists at the University of Oxford have announced that dexamethasone can prevent the death of 35% of severe covid patients who rely on ventilators and reduce the mortality rate of covid patients who require oxygen by 20%.

In this regard, the Chief Executive Officer of the British National Health Service (Sir Simon Stevens) said that this discovery provides a new weapon for the medical profession to prevent and control the  epidemic, and the British National Health Service will immediately take measures to ensure the UK’s patients' access to this drug.

The WHO also issued similar guidelines on 3 September, urging hospitals in various countries to use hydrocortisone to treat covid patients.