India has given the nod to use Dexamethasone for the treatment of moderate to severe cases of coronavirus. This has been approved as an alternative choice to Methylprednisolone.
In the updated clinical management protocol for managing COVID-19 cases, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry said that Dexamethason has been approved for the treatment of Covid 19 after considering the latest available evidence and expert consultation, an official release said.
Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid drug used in a wide range of conditions for its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant effects. The drug has been tested in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in the recovery clinical trial and was found to have benefits for critically ill patients. It has also shown to reduce mortality by about one third for patients on ventilators, and by about one fifth for patients being maintained on oxygen therapy. The drug is also a part of the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) and is widely available.
The last update to the clinical management protocol was done on 13th June, 2020.
The guidance document has also been made available online on the website of the Health Ministry at: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/ClinicalManagementProtocolforCOVID19dated27062020.pdf
