Dexamethasone: First Drug Found to Reduce Mortality in People with COVID-19

Because patients with severe COVID-19 often have evidence of excess inflammation, intense interest has centered on whether anti-inflammatory medications, such as glucocorticoids, have a role in treating COVID-19. In the RECOVERY trial, patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were randomized to receive dexamethasone (6 mg/day for up to 10 days; n=2104) or usual care (n=4321).

Mortality within 28 days was lower with dexamethasone than with usual care (22.9% vs. 25.7%; age-adjusted rate ratio [RR], 0.83). Among patients receiving mechanical ventilation at enrollment, dexamethasone recipients had an age-adjusted 36% lower mortality than usual-care recipients (29.3% vs. 41.4%; RR, 0.64). Those requiring supplemental oxygen (but not mechanical ventila…