Individuals with a history of cardiovascular disease are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, and a significant number of hospitalized patients end up requiring mechanical ventilation or oxygen.
There is some promising news for those patients, however, in the form of early findings from the RECOVERY (Randomised Evaluation of COVid-19 thERapY) trial in the U.K. According to the study, the steroid dexamethasone could be a legitimate game-changer in the fight against COVID-19, reducing the risk of death by one-third for patients on ventilators and by one-fifth for patients requiring oxygen.
Martin Landray, MB ChB, PhD, a cardiologist at the University of Oxford and one of the study’s chief investigators, commented on the potential breakthrough in a statement.
“Since the appearance of COVID-19 six months ago, the search has been on for treatments that can improve survival, particularly in the sickest patients,” Landray said. “These preliminary results from the RECOVERY trial are very clear—dexamethasone reduces the risk of death among patients with severe respiratory complications. COVID-19 is a global disease—it is fantastic that the first treatment demonstrated to reduce mortality is one that is instantly available and affordable worldwide.”
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, director-general for the World Health Organization, described these findings as “good news” and a “life-saving scientific breakthrough.”
“This is the first treatment to be shown to reduce mortality in patients with COVID-19 requiring oxygen or ventilator support,” he said.
A hydroxychloroquine update
Hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malarial drug often mentioned as a potential COVID-19 treatment during the pandemic’s earlier stages, has also made headlines. On Monday, June 15, the FDA revoked its emergency use authorization (EUA) for the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19, noting that it “showed no benefit for decreasing the likelihood of death or speeding recovery.” The full letter revoking the EUA is available on the agency’s website.
President Donald Trump, who pushed the medication during numerous media briefings and even claimed to be taking it himself, has spoken out against the FDA’s decision, as reported by Reuters.
Back in April, the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology and Heart Rhythm Society urged physicians to use caution when using hydroxychloroquine and/or azithromycin to treat COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular disease.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.