WHO on corticosteroids use in COVID-19 fight

New studies confirm multiple types of steroids improve survival for severely ill COVID-19 patients. An analysis of joint results from clinical trials, led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and published on Wednesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that steroids reduced the risk of death in the first month by about one-third compared to placebo treatment or usual care alone in these seriously ill patients who needed extra oxygen.

The WHO recommend systemic corticosteroids for the treatment of patients with severe and critical COVID-19. Dr Janet Diaz, Head of Clinical Care for WHO's Health Emergencies Program, said the evidence showed they could provide a "life-saving intervention".

Steroid drugs are inexpensive, widely available and have been used for decades. They reduce inflammation, which sometimes develops in coronavirus patients as the immune system overreacts to fight the infection. This overreaction damages the lungs and can prove fatal, and Diaz said the guidance was the corticosteroids should not be used for mild cases of COVID-19.