New Delhi, June 27: The government on Saturday approved the use of Glucocorticosteroid Dexamethasone for a select category of patients infected with coronavirus (COVID-19). The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare revised clinical management protocol for treating COVID-19 patients and said Glucocorticosteroid Dexamethasone can now be given as an alternative to Methylprednisolone to moderate and severe coronavirus patients in need of oxygen support who experience excessive inflammatory response. Steroid Dexamethasone Shows Promise in Improving Survival Rates in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: All You Need to Know About the Drug!

"Revised clinical management protocol for #Covid19 issued. Dexamethasone has also been allowed as an alternative to Methylprednisolone," read a tweet by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Presently, there are no approved treatments or vaccines for COVID-19, which has claimed nearly half a million lives so far. The use of dexamethasone, a cheap and widely used steroid, has shown positive results in saving lives in severe cases. Coronavirus Vaccine: IMBCAMS, One of Six Candidates in China, Begins Phase 2 of Human Trials.

Dexamethasone Can Save Lives:

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently said: "Although the data are still preliminary, the recent finding that the steroid dexamethasone has life-saving potential for critically ill COVID-19 patients gave us a much-needed reason to celebrate."

What is Dexamethasone?

Cheap and commonly available Dexamethasone is used to treat arthritis, immune system disorders, and allergic reactions, among others. According to UK researchers, the drug could potentially improve COVID-19 survival. The steroid drug can reduce the mortality rates of patients in ventilators as well as those receiving oxygen. Researchers estimated that the drug would prevent one death for every eight patients treated while on breathing support and one for every 25 patients on extra oxygen alone.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 27, 2020 01:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).