The widely available steroid drug dexamethasone may be key in helping to treat the sickest Covid-19 patients who require ventilation or oxygen.
This is according to researchers in the United Kingdom.
Their findings are preliminary, still being compiled and have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
The two lead investigators of the Recovery Trial, a large UK-based trial investigating potential Covid-19 treatments,say a low-dose regimen of dexamethasone for 10 days was found to reduce the risk of death by a third, among hospitalised patients requiring ventilation in the trial.
The researchers reported no serious adverse effects among the patients taking dexamethasone.
Now researchers and physicians around the world are calling for the Recovery Trial team to release its data on dexamethasone as a potential treatment for severe Covid-19.
