Researchers say steroids may significantly reduce risk of COVID-19 death

Researchers in England say they have the first evidence that a drug can improve survival from COVID-19.

GOVERNMENT ISCALLING IT A"GROUND-BREAKINGCORONAVIRUSTREATMENT" --A COMMON DRUG --THAT THEY SAY CANSAVE LIVES OFTHOSE SEVERELY ILLWITH COVID-19.MANDY GAITHER HASMORE IN TODAY'SHEALTH MINUTE.A COMMONLY USEDSTEROID -- MAYSIGNIFICANTLYREDUCE THE RISK OFDYING IN THESICKESTCORONAVIRUSPATIENTS -ACCORDING TORESEARCHERS INTHE UNITEDKINGDOM."IN VENTILATEDPATIENTS WITHCOVID-19 THE DRUGDEXAMETHASONE,SO A 10 DAYTREATMENT OF THAT,WHICH IS A TABLETOR AN INJECTION,REDUCES THE RISKOF DEATH BY ABOUT35%."WHILE ONE OUTSIDEEXPERT CALLED THISA "BREAKTHROUGH" -THE FINDINGS AREPRELIMINARY - STILLBEING COMPILED -AND HAVE NOT BEENPUBLISHED IN APEER-REVIEWEDJOURNAL -"IF WE TREAT 8PATIENTS ININTENSIVE CAREWITH THIS DRUG,WE'LL SAVE ONE LIFEAND THE TOTALCOST OF TREATINGALL 8 PATIENTS ISONLY ABOUT 40POUNDS, SO THIS ISREALLYREMARKABLE.

WE'REEXTREMELYPLEASED WITH THISRESULT."THAT WOULD EQUALABOUT 50 U-SDOLLARS -RESEARCHER SAYTHE STEROIDDOESN'T WORK ONEVERYONE - SAYINGTHE BENEFITS AREBIGGEST FOR THOSEON VENTILATORS.

INPATIENTSHOSPITALIZED WITHCOVID - WHO DID NOTREQUIRE OXYGENBECAUSE THEIRLUNGS WEREWORKING WELL -THERE'S NO BENEFIT.THEY ADDED THEREARE STILLOUTSTANDINGQUESTIONS - ANDPEOPLE TREATINGCOVID-19 AT HOME -SHOULD NOT TAKETHE STEROIDBECAUSE OF THESERESULTS.

FORTODAY'S HEALTHMINUTE, I'M MANDYGAITHER.THE STEROID ISTYPICALLY USED TOTREAT CERTAINFORMS OFARTHRITIS, SEVEREALLERGIES AND