DOH: Cheap, available steroid dexamethasone not a ‘magic pill’ vs COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — Dexamethasone, a cheap, widely available steroid, is not a “magic pill” against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said this after British researchers found that the said drug reduced deaths by up to one third in severely ill hospitalized patients.

READ: First drug proves able to improve survival from COVID-19

Vergeire warned the public that the drug is not a cure for COVID-19 nor does it prevent individuals from contracting the coronavirus.

“People might think that this is the magic pill para sa COVID-19. It is not. Hindi ito gamot na pag ininom, mawawala ang COVID-19 o ‘pag ininom mo ito, hindi ka magkaka-COVID,” she told reporters in an online media forum.

(This is not a cure for COVID-19 nor does it help the person from getting infected with COVID-19)

She further explained that the drug was used as a “supportive treatment” for COVID-19 patients, especially those with severe or critical conditions.

The study also needs to be peer-reviewed first before its findings are deemed acceptable.

“Hindi pa siya [study] peer-reviewed. Kailangan ang peer review para masabi na ang ebidensya o ang study ay katangggap-tanggap,” Vergeire said.

(It is not yet peer-reviewed. It must undergo peer review before we could say that the evidence is acceptable.)

“Antayin natin ‘yung resulta ng peer review na ito para ‘yung ating eksperto ay mapag-aralan yan at masabi kung talagang pwedeng gawin,” she added.

(We should wait for the result of the peer review.)

To date, the country’s confirmed cases of COVID-19 have reached 26,781 with 6,552 recoveries and 1,103 fatalities.

/MUF