Dexamethasone can be used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients

New Delhi : The Centre on Saturday approved use of steroid dexamethasone for treatment of moderate and severe coronavirus patients in need of oxygen support who experience excessive inflammatory response. For the same, the Health Ministry also revised clinical management protocol for COVID-19.

According to a research by scientists, it has been found that use of dexamethasone can reduce deaths by one-third in ventilated patients, and by one fifth in other patients receiving oxygen only. However, the research has mentioned that the drug is of no benefit to the patients who did not require respiratory support.

Based on these results, the scientists believe that the drug could prevent nearly one death in the treatment of around eight ventilated patients, or around 25 patients requiring oxygen alone.

The drug is currently available at a very cheap price as compared to others and can be used worldwide to reduce the death ratio.

Earlier, this month loss of smell and taste was added as the new symptom of COVID-19 by the Health Ministry.

India on Saturday recorded highest single-day spike with 18,552 fresh infections and 384 deaths, taking the total tally beyond 5,00,000-mark.