It works for those on a vent and for those on oxygen - in the study, it reduced deaths for those people by 20-25%, which is significant. Dexamethasone is an anti-inflammatory, and COVID-19 in the end stages inflames the lungs, so it's not surprising to hear that it's effective. I'm glad Trump hasn't talked about it because it does nothing to prevent infection or lessen the progression of the disease - it only works in the end stages, when the inflammation happens.
As I said, dex is kind of nasty. One of the side effects is that it gets you really wired and more than a bit intense - you are wide awake and feeling antsy, even in the middle of the night. I have this image of people on oxygen getting out of their beds and cleaning their own hospital rooms... |
