Steroids for COVID-19: Multiple Studies and a Meta-Analysis

Different studies evaluating steroids in severe COVID-19 arrive at different conclusions, but a WHO-led prospective meta-analysis confirms a mortality benefit.

In June of 2020, the preliminary report from the RECOVERY clinical trial demonstrated that 10 days of dexamethasone had a significant mortality benefit in hospitalized COVID-19 patients (NEJM JW Infect Dis Sep 2020 and N Engl J Med 2020 Jul 17; [e-pub]). These findings resulted in the halting of other clinical trials evaluating steroids in this population for lack of equipoise. The World Health Organization had also planned a prospective meta-analysis of studies evaluating the role of steroids in severe COVID-19, including data from RECOVERY. What do the data to date tell us?

Trials That Were Stopped Early

In a multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study in France (CAPE COVID), adults patients admitted to the intensive c…

Author

Hana M. El Sahly, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health

Hana M. El Sahly, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health

Steroids for COVID-19: Multiple Studies and a Meta-Analysis

Topics

Trials That Were Stopped Early

Author