Dexamethasone’s COVID-19 Benefits Confirmed
The benefits of the steroid dexamethasone in its use in COVID-19 patients were confirmed with the full results of a large randomized clinical trial, the gold standard of tests, in Britain. In the New England Journal of Medicine, the results were released which showed benefits of the drug for people with advanced or moderate disease. Overall, 4,321 COVID-19 patients received usual care and around 2,104 patients were randomly assigned to receive dexamethasone. Among patients who needed mechanical ventilation when they entered the study, dexamethasone had reduced the risk of death by 36%, and among those who were receiving oxygen without mechanical ventilation, the risk of death was reduced by 18%, after four weeks. Survival among patients who were not using oxygen or mechanical ventilation was not improved by the drug. From the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. H. Clifford Lane and Dr. Anthony Fauci said in an editorial that the crucial importance of large, well-designed, carefully run, randomized controlled trials is seen from the results.
The following is a brief roundup of some of the latest scientific novel coronavirus studies.
Immune Cells Could Recognize the Coronavirus Years Later
In the journal
Nature, researchers in Singapore reported their findings as they looked for memory T cells in 23 survivors of the 2003 coronavirus that caused SARS, 36 COVID-19 survivors, and 37 people who never had either illness. According to the results, they found that the novel coronavirus was recognized by all COVID-19 survivors’ T cells. The SARS survivors T cells also recognized the new coronavirus and they had T cells that remembered the 2003 virus. Additionally, researchers found protective T cells in more than half of those who were never infected with either coronavirus, which suggested that there may be some pre-existing immunity to the new coronavirus in the general population and that they may have encountered other coronaviruses in the past. The researchers said that to quickly start an effective immune response able to stop the viral spread, it is important is that a level of B and T cell memory remains. They added saying that T cells help instruct B cells to produce antibodies, and also can kill infected cells to slow the virus down.Low Interferon Levels Identify High-risk COVID-19
COVID-19 patients at high risk for severe pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome could be identified by low blood levels of a type of interferon (IFN). Severely impaired production of IFN type I, persistent virus in the blood, and an excessive inflammatory response was found in severely and critically ill COVID-19 patients, according to a study published in the journal Science. The study’s researchers stated that in the most severely ill people, their findings support the potential value of treating these patients early on with IFN, combined with anti-inflammatory drugs or steroids such as dexamethasone. They added that the lowest levels of Type 1 IFN were observed in the most severe patients, suggesting that levels of circulating Type 1 IFN could even characterize each stage of the disease.
Heart Disease may Underlie Mysterious Blood Findings in COVID-19 Patients
In severe COVID-19 cases, elevated blood levels of troponin, a protein released during heart injury, was found to be common, although it predominantly affects the lungs. In COVID-19 survivors who had at least mildly elevated troponin levels while hospitalized, cardiologists in London performed cardiovascular magnetic resonance scans to learn more about this. They found two patterns of myocarditis or heart muscle inflammation among 29 people with no obvious reason for elevated troponins, such as a heart attack. The heart function seemed unaffected in patients with one pattern. In roughly a third of patients, the other pattern was seen and it was associated with ischemic heart disease or reduced blood supply to the heart. Dr. Dan Knight of the Royal Free Hospital said that further workup could reveal undiagnosed heart disease when troponin levels are elevated in COVID-19 patients with no apparent reason.
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Dexamethasone’s COVID-19 benefits confirmed
