The drug dexamethasone lowers the risk of death in COVID-19 patients

Dexamethasone as a COVID-19 drug

Dexamethasone is a drug from the corticosteroid class. This drug is usually used to treat inflammation, indigestion, asthma, and allergic reactions. Sometimes, dexamethasone is also used in the treatment of certain types of cancer.

The way dexamethasone works is similar to the glucocorticoid hormone that is naturally produced by the adrenal glands. The steroid content in this drug will decrease the body's defense system so that the inflammation symptoms gradually disappear.

Inflammation is also a major problem in COVID-19. Many patients have severe inflammation that can damage tissue. They face not only the dangers of coronavirus infection, but also the risk of fatal organ failure.

Dexamethasone may have the potential to be an inflammatory drug in COVID-19 patients, and this is what a team of researchers in England is testing. The clinical trial was conducted on 2,104 patients randomly selected from a number of hospitals.

COVID-19 Outbreak updates Country: IndonesiaData

1,024,298

Confirmed

831,330

Recovered

28,855

DeathDistribution Map

All patients were given six milligrams of dexamethasone per day for ten days, either by mouth or by injection. Researchers then compared them with 4,321 other patients who underwent regular treatment without dexamethasone.

There are three patient conditions in this study, namely patients who need ventilators, patients who only need oxygen, and patients who do not need breathing assistance. Drug administration had different effects on the three.

After routinely taking dexamethasone, the risk of death in patients on a ventilator was reduced by about 30 percent. The risk for patients requiring oxygen decreased by 20 percent. Meanwhile, in patients with mild conditions, there is no effect whatsoever.

Based on these results, giving the drug dexamethasone can prevent death in 1 in 8 COVID-19 patients who are on ventilators. Meanwhile, in patients who need oxygen, as many as 1 in 25 deaths can be prevented.

The advantages of dexamethasone over other drug candidates

The use of steroid drugs to treat respiratory problems is actually a lot of debate. Several previous studies that discussed this drug also gave different results.

Dexamethasone is working by lowering the activity of the immune system. This will prevent further damage to the lungs as a result of the attack of the excess immune cells. This reaction is what often occurs in COVID-19 patients with severe conditions.

The debate arises because patients still need a strong immune system to fight SARS-CoV-2 in their bodies. If the patient's immune system decreases, it is feared that the coronavirus can develop and attack more tissue.

The good news is, this study shows that the benefits of dexamethasone in low doses outweigh any potential harm. This is why dexamethasone is considered a safe drug for COVID-19 patients in general.

The research team also warns that an overreaction of the immune system is sometimes more dangerous than the virus itself. In some cases, patients even experience a cytokine storm, a dangerous immune response that can be fatal. Giving dexamethasone is an important step to prevent these effects.

According to the study, dexamethasone appears to have an effect only on the immune system reaction to COVID-19, not mild infections in general. Thus, decreased immunity does not immediately make the patient susceptible to other infections.

In addition, dexamethasone is an inexpensive and easily accessible drug. This drug can be an alternative when stocks of stronger drugs such as remdesivir are running low, especially in areas with high cases of COVID-19 and limited health services.

Dexamethasone may not kill SARS-CoV-2 in the body. However, this drug is able to relieve an overreaction of the immune system. This can reduce the risk of death from organ damage that is often experienced by COVID-19 patients.