Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Scientists hail dexamethasone as 'major breakthrough' in treating COVID-19 [and it's cheap!]
www.reuters.com ^ | 06-16-2020 | Kate Kelland, Alistair Smout

Posted on 06/16/2020 7:01:52 AM PDT by Red Badger

Dexamethasone, a cheap and widely used steroid, has become the first drug shown to be able to save lives among COVID-19 patients in what scientists hailed as a “major breakthrough”.

Results of trials announced on Tuesday showed dexamethasone, which is used to reduce inflammation in other diseases, reduced death rates by around a third among the most severely ill COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital.

The results suggest the drug should immediately become standard care in patients with severe cases of the pandemic disease, said the researchers who led the trials.

“This is a result that shows that if patients who have COVID-19 and are on ventilators or are on oxygen are given dexamethasone, it will save lives, and it will do so at a remarkably low cost,” said Martin Landray, an Oxford University professor co-leading the trial, known as the RECOVERY trial.

“It’s going to be very hard for any drug really to replace this, given that for less than 50 pounds ($63.26), you can treat eight patients and save a life,” he told reporters in an online briefing.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: ards; chinavirustreatment; cytokinestorm; dexamethasone; hcqzpaczinc; steroid
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-106 next last
To: Guenevere

Hydroxychloroquine, Zinc, and Z-Pac for prevention. Dexamethasone for the seriously ill.

Now if we can prevent doctors from needlessly putting patients on ventilators and governors from sticking Covid positive patients in nursing homes there will be no serious second wave.

Half the current deaths could’ve been prevented with common sense and unbiased science. Cuomo and others should be jailed as mass murderers.


21 posted on 06/16/2020 7:20:08 AM PDT by BushCountry (thinks he needs a gal whose name doesn't end in ".jpg")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Guenevere
I’m sticking with Trump’s recommendation if it can still be found!

Here in democrat gov Sisolak’s Nevada the doctors are free to prescribe HCQ for COVID-19.

The pharmacies are not allowed to fill those prescriptions.

22 posted on 06/16/2020 7:21:24 AM PDT by null and void (2020 is one big Babylon Bee article)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Whenifhow; null and void; aragorn; EnigmaticAnomaly; kalee; Kale; AZ .44 MAG; Baynative; bgill; ...

p


23 posted on 06/16/2020 7:22:47 AM PDT by bitt (Let justice be done though the heavens fall – Fiat justitia ruat cælum)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

I like that there are many many patients, but, I still don’t understand fully.

Are they saying it only saves 1 in 8 on Ventilators? Does that mean 7 still die?


24 posted on 06/16/2020 7:23:33 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Guenevere

It stated that they gave up that drug as it was not helpful.

Sorry, but I’ll trust real experiments of doctors over Trump.


25 posted on 06/16/2020 7:25:23 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

It’s cheap? It will be outlawed. See HCQ.


26 posted on 06/16/2020 7:26:41 AM PDT by Pajamajan ( Pray for our nation. Thank the Lord for everything you haave. Don't wait. Do it today.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nikos1121

Not according to the article.


27 posted on 06/16/2020 7:27:07 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Yeah, after Oxford did a hydroxi-only trial to try to discredit it.


28 posted on 06/16/2020 7:27:08 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Yeah, after Oxford did a hydroxi-only trial to try to discredit it.


29 posted on 06/16/2020 7:27:08 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: the OlLine Rebel

Ha, ha... The forth leading cause of death in the United States is medical mistakes, up to 440,000 a year. It did not take long for the hydroxychloroquine studies become political, not scientific.

With all the death and infections we still don’t the answer to a simple few questions.


30 posted on 06/16/2020 7:32:50 AM PDT by BushCountry (thinks he needs a gal whose name doesn't end in ".jpg")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

They need years of testing /s


31 posted on 06/16/2020 7:34:26 AM PDT by vigilante2 (Make liberals cry again)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: null and void

How does the pharmacist know if you haven’t recently been diagnosed with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis?


32 posted on 06/16/2020 7:37:15 AM PDT by FamiliarFace
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: gas_dr
Its amazing to me — touted as a new breakthrough, we have used steroids in the treatment of ARDS for a long time (over 20 years). Those who I have treated have received this medication — this is clearly something most intensivists know.

I've read (and been told) that steroids aren't useful in cases of pneumonia, but I think that's because of their effect on the immune response. Seems to me if you're in exceedingly dire straits the first thing you need to do is get the inflammation down and worry about immune response later. A few years ago my wife had severe pneumonitis which responded very quickly to prednisone treatments. As an asthmatic, in the past I've been treated with both cortisone and prednisone for severe attacks of bronchitis. In every case my condition improved almost immediately.

Sometimes the medical people are too clever for their own (or rather your own) good.

33 posted on 06/16/2020 7:37:51 AM PDT by Mr Ramsbotham ("God is a spirit, and man His means of walking on the earth.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

This is great news.


34 posted on 06/16/2020 7:40:10 AM PDT by hawkaw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nikos1121

If I read some of those “studies” correctly, they were using higher doses of HCQ or CQ which were ones where the heart problems were happening.


35 posted on 06/16/2020 7:40:29 AM PDT by FamiliarFace
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Chandler

“For the love of God, Mr. President, PLEASE don’t endorse this medication.”

***********************************************************

I was getting ready to post the exact same sentiment till I saw yours.lol

MSM are like a bunch of little kids. So easy to see through their little minds.


36 posted on 06/16/2020 7:41:34 AM PDT by Sir Bangaz Cracka (Slamming dat white cracka'a head into dat sidewalk causin he be scared)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: BushCountry

This experiment involved thousands of patients, including for HCQ. It’s more scientific than Trump simply declaring something sounding good.

Of course we don’t have all answers, but it looks enough now we should stop hyperventilating about this disease and move on.


37 posted on 06/16/2020 7:42:26 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: FamiliarFace

Those studies in Lancet and Infectious Disease are questionable.

I think the effectiveness of treatment, is to reduce the cytokine storm. For that you need a combination of drugs.


38 posted on 06/16/2020 7:46:06 AM PDT by nikos1121
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

It’s another medicine for attacking the cytokine storm the immune system creates trying a massive overwhelming attack on the virus, which winds up being a massive inflammatory attack on all sorts of internal tissues.

Currently used steroids, already doing the job in severe Wuhan Virus cases, are maybe more expensive or not as good as Dexamethasone.

However, Dexamethasone could suddenly become less inexpensive as demand for it increases globally, to treat Wuhan Virus cases.

And, what was not mentioned about the study promoting the use of Dexamethasone is whether or not the patients that did not get Dexamethasone simply also got no other steroids. We already know use of steroids is the way to quiet the cytokine storm and that is already being done.

I’m wondering how much one of the makers of the currently cheap Dexamethasone promoted the study and the Reuters article. It would be a good way to get its retail price up.


39 posted on 06/16/2020 7:48:45 AM PDT by Wuli (Get)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Guenevere

He didn’t “recommend” it. He simply said, “that’s great; it could be game changer.” And I still think it was. But, that’s all he needed to say for the Media to warp his words into something else.


40 posted on 06/16/2020 7:53:53 AM PDT by MrChips ("To wisdom belongs the apprehension of eternal things." - St. Augustine)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-106 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson