WHO moves to update COVID-19 guidance after ‘great news’ in drug study

Seoul, June 17

The World Health Organisation (WHO) mentioned it was transferring to replace its tips on treating folks stricken with COVID-19 to replicate outcomes of a scientific trial that confirmed an affordable, widespread steroid will help save critically-ill sufferers.

Trial outcomes introduced on Tuesday by researchers in Britain confirmed dexamethasone, used for the reason that 1960s to cut back irritation in ailments comparable to arthritis, minimize loss of life charges by round a 3rd among the many most severely ailing COVID-19 sufferers admitted to hospital.

Britain has elevated the quantity of dexamethasone it has in inventory and on order to 240,000 doses, well being minister Matt Hancock mentioned.

But some docs had been cautious, citing doable uncomfortable side effects and asking to see extra information.

The WHO’s scientific steerage for treating sufferers contaminated with the brand new coronavirus is geared toward docs and different medical professionals and seeks to make use of the newest information to tell clinicians on how finest to deal with all phases of the illness, from screening to discharge.

Although the dexamethasone examine’s outcomes are preliminary, the researchers behind the mission mentioned it suggests the drug ought to instantly turn into customary care in severely stricken sufferers.

For sufferers on ventilators, the therapy was proven to cut back mortality by about one third, and for sufferers requiring solely oxygen, mortality was minimize by about one fifth, in response to preliminary findings shared with WHO.

The profit was solely seen in sufferers critically ailing with COVID-19 and was not noticed in sufferers with milder illness.

The positive information comes as coronavirus infections accelerated in some locations together with the United States and as Beijing cancelled scores of flights to assist comprise a recent outbreak in China’s capital.

“This is the first treatment to be shown to reduce mortality in patients with COVID-19 requiring oxygen or ventilator support,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mentioned in an announcement late on Tuesday. The company mentioned it was trying ahead to the complete information evaluation of the examine in coming days.

“WHO will coordinate a meta-analysis to increase our overall understanding of this intervention. WHO clinical guidance will be updated to reflect how and when the drug should be used in COVID-19,” the company added.

South Korea’s prime well being official cautioned about using the drug for COVID-19 sufferers as a result of potential uncomfortable side effects.

“Some experts have warned of the drug not only reducing the inflammatory response in patients, but also the immune system and may trigger side effects,” mentioned Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We have been burned before, not just during the coronavirus pandemic but even pre-COVID, with exciting results that when we have access to the data are not as convincing,” mentioned Dr. Kathryn Hibbert, director of the medical intensive care unit at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital. — Reuters