WHO welcomes initial clinical trial results from the United Kingdom that show dexamethasone, a corticosteroid, can be lifesaving for patients who are critically ill with COVID-19. According to preliminary findings shared with WHO, for patients on ventilators, the treatment was shown to reduce mortality by about one third, and for patients who only require oxygen, mortality was cut by about one fifth.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros, in his regular media briefing yesterday, stressed that “Despite the ongoing global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot lose sight of other significant public health issues, including influenza”. WHO urges countries to address the sharp decline in influenza surveillance and testing during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as the southern hemisphere enters the flu season.