What the Latest Findings Say About Dexamethasone

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that among people hospitalized with Covid-19, the use of dexamethasone resulted in lower 28-day risk of death for people who were receiving either invasive mechanical ventilation or oxygen alone at randomization. However, the drug did not show a benefit for people receiving no respiratory support.

The study observed around 2,100 people hospitalized for Covid-19. A portion of the group was randomly assigned to receive 10 days’ worth of dexamethasone combined with their standard care, and some 4,300 people were randomly assigned to continue with their standard care alone. The study found that after 28 days, 482 people taking dexamethasone died, compared to about 1,110 of people in the study who were not taking the drug. Here’s a link to the full study, and here’s a link to the accompanying editorial.