Cheap and widely used steroids appear to help critically ill patients survive COVID-19, according to new studies, enthusing researchers and prompting the World Health Organization on Wednesday to strongly recommend their use.
WHO said a “meta-analysis” of seven studies involving over 7,000 participants found steroids like dexamethasone, hydrocortisone and methylprednisolone can reduce the risk of death by up to one-third compared to patients who did not receive them.
The data published in the Journal of the American Medical Association supports findings from British researchers, who in June concluded that dexamethasone was effective in saving the lives of patients requiring oxygen or a ventilator.
Scientists say COVID-19 patients often die from the immune system’s extreme reaction to the virus — what’s known as a “cytokine storm” — and not the pathogen itself. The steroids help keep the immune response in check.
“Corticosteroids are listed in the WHO model list of essential medicines, readily available globally at a low cost,” the organization said in announcing its guidelines.
WHO highlighted the severe toll of the pandemic in making its recommendations. More than 850,000 people have died worldwide — including nearly 185,000 in the U.S. — and only one other drug, remdesivir, has shown promise but the “magnitude of reduction in time to clinical improvement and the impact of this antiviral agent on mortality and other important outcomes remains uncertain.
“The National Institutes of Health issued recommendations for the use of dexamethasone earlier this summer.
President Trump has been highlighting the promise of therapeutics and an eventual vaccine as transmission remains relatively high across the U.S. The spotlight has shifted to flare-ups in the Midwest, where Minnesota health officials Wednesday reported the first death — a man in his 60s — tied to the Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota. Surrounding states each have reported dozens of cases tied to the rally, raising fears it was a “super spreader” event.
Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, meanwhile, scolded Mr. Trump for his push to reopen schools for in-person learning, saying his November foe hasn’t taken the steps needed to keep children safe.
“If President Trump and his administration had done their jobs early on in this crisis, American schools would be open,” he said in a speech from Delaware.
Mr. Biden said he would direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to extend emergency assistance to K-12 schools looking to reopen.
Also Wednesday, the Trump administration said it will reprogram the $62 million in “annual dues” it owes the WHO to pay other United Nations assessments, as it seeks to satisfy the terms of its year-long exit from the global public-health body.
It will also make “voluntary contributions” of $68 million for humanitarian health aid and $40 million for immunization and anti-influenza campaigns to WHO partners, before it transitions to working with “more credible partners” for this kind of work in the future.
Mr. Trump announced his intention to withdraw from WHO last spring, saying it was too deferential to China after the coronavirus was discovered in the central city of Wuhan in December. He said the U.S. wasn’t getting a good return on the hundreds of millions it pays into WHO and that Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus didn’t respond to his pleas for transparency and better communication on the pandemic.
“WHO leadership declined to take that opportunity, resulting in the president’s decision,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Nerissa Cook told reporters Wednesday.
The U.S. notified the United Nations that it planned to withdraw from the WHO effective July 6, 2021, under rules that require payment of financial obligations and one year of notice.
Democrats have blasted the decision as foolish, especially amid a pandemic.
The administration hasn’t shown any sign of backing off, however, and characterized its Wednesday announcement on dues and contributions as part of the exit process.
At the same time, it reissued its demand for reforms.
“If WHO works better, that will be good for everybody,” said Garrett Grigsby, director of global affairs for the Department of Health and Human Services. “We actually do have quite a bit of leverage and if they’re interested in seeing the United States stay, they will take that seriously.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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