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A NEW THERAPUTIC DRUG       

It is curious why Trump would promote the unproven plasma therapy that has very little evidence of doing any good and this new therapy that has evidence of real benefit.  Could the answer be that the studies came from the World Health Organization that Trump has refused to provide funding because the WHO refused to go along with his false rhetoric about China and the virus and conspiracy theories about a manufactured virus.  Or is Trump pissed because it was reveled that his administration refused to sign up when presented with the world wide “equitable distribution of vaccines agreement.”

A new therapeutic set of drugs are being used and has shown promising in handling patients with advanced problems either using oxygen or on a ventilator or other assisted breathing apparatus.  The class of Steroids appear to be promising and in a study the observation show 35% of the patients improved with the therapy.

The Steroids reduce inflammation which develops in coronavirus patients when the immune system overreacts to the infection. The overreaction damages the lungs and may prove fatal.

This class of steroids are not the same as the athletics use for bulking up.  The new studies confirm multiple types of steroids improve survivability of severely ill Covid-19 patients.  The pooled results of 7 studies led by a group from the World Health Organization shows that steroids reduced the risk of deat8h by about 1/3 in the first month of the study and as a result halted the studies to recommend implementation.

The study was published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.  Dr. Martin Landray of Oxford University led the study and said: “This result opens  up more choices” he said of steroids. “The more options in terms of availability, the better.”  Steroids have been around for decades and are cheap relatively safe and widely available. 

Dr. Anthony Gordon of the imperial college of London called the results “a huge step forward” but reminded everyone “but added: “as impressive as these results are, it’s not a cure.”

In June, a large study was conducted by Oxford University which used the steroid called dexamethasone and cut deaths by up to 35% in hospital patients who needed breathing machines and 20% in those only needing oxygen. It did not help less sick patients and may even be harmful in early stages.

The results of one studies reflect the 35% benefit.  One had 678 patients and 222 deaths and the group with the placebo, or usual care, there were 1.025 patients with a mortality of 429.

Dr. Derek Angus at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center helped lead in one of the studies said:  “It’s increasingly reassuring that the other studies were all lining up in the same direction.” And went on to say: “It’s the most solid news we’ve had yet on how to take care of patients with Cocid-19.”

Treatment guidelines in the U.S. now recommend dexamethasone or alternative steroid drug if dexamethasone is not available for use by hospitalized patients needing extra oxygen.  Additional data may change their recommendation, however the new is good, and it looks like an effective therapeutic.  This is actual great news not speculation Trump, where is the fanfare?