Andrew
Kuda Bwititi
UNITED Kingdom Ambassador to Zimbabwe Ms Melanie Robinson has welcomed research from the University of Oxford which shows that the drug dexamethasone reduces death from coronavirus.
The dexamethasone drug has been recognised by the World Health Organisation as the first treatment to be shown to reduce mortality in patients with Covid-19 requiring oxygen or ventilator support.
Writing on her Twitter account, Ambassador Robinson tweeted that the drug can have a positive impact around the world, including Zimbabwe.
“Brilliant news that @UniofOxford researchers found dexamethasone reduces risk of dying from #Covid19 (but won’t stop you catching it). Part of trials into a range of potential #COVID19 treatments. The drug is expected to have a big impact on the #COVID19 pandemic at home & abroad.”
Commenting on the dexamethasone drug, World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said:
“This is great news and I congratulate the Government of the UK, the University of Oxford, and the many hospitals and patients in the UK who have contributed to this life-saving scientific breakthrough.”
According to WHO, results from the United Kingdom (UK) that show dexamethasone, a corticosteroid, can be lifesaving for patients who are critically ill with Covid-19.
For patients on ventilators, the treatment was shown to reduce mortality by about one third, and for patients requiring only oxygen, mortality was cut by about one fifth, according to preliminary findings.
Online Reporter