WHO, "Lack of Information on Dexamethasone COVID-19 Treatment... Use with Caution"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that caution is needed in the use of dexamethasone, a steroidal anti-inflammatory drug known to have confirmed treatment efficacy for COVID-19, due to insufficient information on its treatment methods. This is because there are concerns about side effects if it is misused or overused.

On the 17th (local time), Michael Ryan, WHO Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response, emphasized during a virtual press briefing held at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, that "The results of the dexamethasone trial by Oxford University are very welcome and important, but there is still a lack of information about the treatment method," and added, "More data is needed on the required dosage and how patients are clinically evaluated." WHO is reviewing other studies related to dexamethasone and plans to reach a conclusion on clinical advice soon.

Earlier, the large-scale clinical trial named 'RECOVERY,' led by a research team from Oxford University in the UK, showed that dexamethasone, which has been used for inflammation treatment, significantly reduces the mortality rate of severe COVID-19 patients. It is known to reduce mortality by up to 40% in severe cases, raising expectations that dexamethasone could become a new breakthrough in the COVID-19 crisis in several countries.

Nevertheless, WHO's caution regarding the use of dexamethasone stems from the fact that steroidal drugs like dexamethasone can cause immune function suppression or side effects such as arrhythmia when administered over a long period. Although dexamethasone has been used as an anti-inflammatory drug since the 1960s, there are no official research papers studying it as an antiviral agent yet.

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