Cheap and effective: steroids can be a lifesaver in COVID-19

New research confirms that several types of steroids improve the survival rate of critically ill COVID-19 patients, cementing cheap drugs as the standard of care. Writes about it ABC News.

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An analysis of the pooled results of seven studies conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that steroids reduced the risk of death in the first month by about a third when compared to placebo or conventional COVID-19 treatment.

“This result opens up more options for treatment options,” said Dr. Martin Landray from the University of Oxford, who led one of the studies. “The more options in terms of accessibility, the better.”

Dr. Anthony Gordon of Imperial College London called the result "a huge step forward," but added: "As impressive as these results are, this is not a cure."

Steroid drugs are inexpensive, widely available, and have been used for decades. They reduce inflammation that sometimes develops in patients with coronavirus, as the immune system overreacts to fighting infection. This overreaction damages the lungs and can be fatal. These drugs are not the type of steroid used for athletic performance.

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In June, a large study by the University of Oxford showed that a steroid called dexamethasone reduces mortality by up to 35% among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who required treatment with breathing apparatus and by 20% among those who only need supplemental oxygen. This did not help less sick patients and could even be harmful at that stage of the disease.

The results immediately changed the approach to treatment and prompted the end of many other studies that tested steroids. The new analysis looked at the results of six of these studies that had been discontinued and the results of severely ill patients in the Oxford Study to see if all types of steroids were equally effective. In the end, it turned out that all types of steroids are effective.

There were 222 deaths among 678 patients treated with steroids and 425 deaths among 1025 patients treated with placebo or just conventional treatment.

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“I'm very pleased,” said Dr. Derek Angus, chief of intensive care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, who helped conduct one of the studies. “This is the most reliable news on how to treat patients with COVID-19.”

Mark Shannon, a 61-year-old bank teller in Pittsburgh who spent 11 days on a breathing apparatus, received the steroid hydrocortisone during the course of the study and recovered.

“I realize how close I came to losing my life,” he admitted.

On August 2, WHO issued guidelines for the treatment of coronavirus disease, which says: steroids are indicated for patients with severe COVID-19 and are undesirable for less infected patients.

Treatment guidelines in the United States now recommend dexamethasone or other similar drugs for patients with severe COVID-19.

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