The WHO Says It’s Time to Ramp Up the World’s Dexamethasone Supply

The promising steroid is a ‘reason to celebrate’

In a Covid-19 press briefing on Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) shared a rare bit of positive news: The cheap and widely available steroid dexamethasone has shown real promise in treating Covid-19, and now it’s time to ramp up the world’s supply.

“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,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Last week, dexamethasone made headlines after researchers at Oxford University issued a press release about its RECOVERY Trial, which tested the steroid on 2,104 patients and had a control group of 4,321 patients who were not on the drug. Shin Jie Yong explained the findings, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, on Medium:

Preliminary results showed that the drug lowered the death risk from 40% to 28% for patients on ventilators, and from 25% to 20% for those requiring supplemental oxygen over 28 days. There were no substantial side effects. And it did not help mild Covid-19 cases without any breathing issues.

Not all the data from the trial, however, have been released, raising skepticism among some researchers.