Dexamethasone, a cheap drug that cuts deaths from Covid-19, according to British experts

British experts say that a cheap and available drug could save the lives of people with Covid-19. According to the BBC, Dexamethasone, which is a type of corticosteroid medication used to reduce inflammation in other conditions, «cuts the risk of death by a third for patients on ventilators» and «by a fifth», for those on oxygen.

A team from Oxford University compared the results of a trial that consisted of giving the drug to 2,000 Covid-19 patients. The findings showed that for Covid-19 patients on ventilators, the dexamethasone cut the risk of death from 40% to 29%. For patients needing oxygen, the drug cut the risk of death from 25% to 20%, the same source added.

«This is the only drug so far that has been shown to reduce mortality - and it reduces it significantly. It's a major breakthrough», chief investigator Prof Peter Horby said. «The treatment is up to 10 days of dexamethasone and it costs about £5 per patient. So essentially it costs £35 to save a life. This is a drug that is globally available», he added.

The professor explained that the drug does not help Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms, adding that when appropriate it will be given to hospital patients.