JUST IN: Dexamethasone proves first life-saving drug to use against Covid-19

Well, this is encouraging. It's a shame that this wasn't discovered earlier, because according to the linked article, up to 5,000 lives could have been saved.

I'm curious what the CDC has to say about this discovery.

The low-dose steroid treatment dexamethasone is a major breakthrough in the fight against the deadly virus, UK experts say.

The drug is part of the world's biggest trial testing existing treatments to see if they also work for coronavirus.

It cut the risk of death by a third for patients on ventilators. For those on oxygen, it cut deaths by a fifth.

Had the drug had been used to treat patients in the UK from the start of the pandemic, up to 5,000 lives could have been saved, researchers say.

And it could be of huge benefit in poorer countries with high numbers of Covid-19 patients.

The UK government has 200,000 courses of the drug in its stockpile and says the NHS will make dexamethasone available to patients.

www.bbc.com...

Some of us have been saying that corticosteroids would likely help dramatically, for quite some time.

Im glad to see them putting it into more use, and hopefully its widespread availability and being inexpensive doesnt hinder it.

The CDC will probably poo-poo this one too and say there hasn't been enough testing. The FDA will drag their heels as long as big pharma tells them to.

a reply to: shawmanfromny

The CDC will probably accuse you of trying to kill granny and you have to wait 18 months because Bill Gates is the only one allowed to kill granny.

a reply to: shawmanfromny

Yeah I was watching this on the news today, apparently it would have saved up to 5,000 lives in the UK had it been used from the start. It's a shame we didn't know about it earlier. But it is definitely encouraging news. Hopefully they may even find a second drug which can be used at the same time to increase treatment even further.

a reply to: HalWesten

I don't think the CDC will be able to discount this one, Boris Johnson and SAGE just announced it from the Downing Street meeting today

This is great news! I wonder who owns the patent/manufacturing rights.

GoogleDontFailMeNow

a reply to: shawmanfromny
Is this treatment insanely profitable for the medical industry? If not, don't expect the FDA-CDC-WHO endorse it.

originally posted by: TXRabbit
This is great news! I wonder who owns the patent/manufacturing rights.

GoogleDontFailMeNow

www.mayoclinic.org...


My 420 medical dispensary also has some good medicine.

a reply to: olaru12

Thank you for the link. Looks like this drug has been around since the 60's with over 100 companies now offering offshoots and generics in many forms.
Hell, even the methods for creating, packaging, formulating, transporting, delivering and dosing are patented.
Gotta love "privatized" healthcare

a reply to: shawmanfromny

I can only hope Trump doesn't say anything positive about this, or the MSM will kill it.

a reply to: TXRabbit

I CAN ANSWER THAT - NO ONE

dexemethesone is a very old drug - i was on it - for " reasons " 30 years ago

ETA - i has also had the " joy " - of administering it too [ it was the immediate drug response for HACE // HAPE ( hi altitude pulmonary and cerebral edema ) - single shot " epi pen " - that could be used by basic first aid trained personel

originally posted by: Tulpa
a reply to: shawmanfromny

The CDC will probably accuse you of trying to kill granny and you have to wait 18 months because Bill Gates is the only one allowed to kill granny.

I don't know Cuomo and Wolf were doing pretty good at bumping off Granny.

a reply to: JIMC5499

That's just a right wing conspiracy theory. They were saving them from themselves.

Now get your mask and gloves on and get back inside your house or they're going to come and save you too. With vaxeeeeens.

a reply to: Serdgiam

Not to mention that it is cheap and has been in use for years... sounds positive for future cases!

Keeps the “cytokine storm” in check which is an important thing to do with this virus. No use in fighting if the cure is death! Sounds like a Zakk Wylde song!!

But keeping side reactions down and manageable is better than nothing... (possibly another Zakk song!)

No word yet from Dr. Fauci . He'll say that it's all anecdotal and should be studied for 10 months before trials.

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Probably cynicism.. But, being cheap seems to be a downside. Seems like the angle is specifically for The Vaccine.

Given recent research into flu vaccination virus interference (specifically with coronaviruses, mind), the results from previous coronavirus vaccines, and fast tracked vaccines with lessened safety restrictions.. I have my concerns there

Basically though, halt/stall viral replication & halt/stall cytokine storm. Boom, different situation. Years and years of research, backed by promising case reports since the beginning of this thing. Plenty of different options to do all of that too.

As well as a plethora of preventative measures that would greatly lessen the impact of any pathogen, including the Rona.

"Experts" havent really been talking about any of that though, so.. meh. I question their motives.

a reply to: Violater1

He'll say that it's all anecdotal and should be studied for 10 months before trials.

Why would he say that? This is a controlled trial, part of a project which has been running since March.
www.recoverytrial.net...

A total of 2104 patients were randomised to receive dexamethasone 6 mg once per day (either by mouth or by intravenous injection) for ten days and were compared with 4321 patients randomised to usual care alone. Among the patients who received usual care alone, 28-day mortality was highest in those who required ventilation (41%), intermediate in those patients who required oxygen only (25%), and lowest among those who did not require any respiratory intervention (13%).