Coronavirus treatment: Here's why life-saving drug, Dexamethasone is being seen as a better alternative to Remdesivir and Hydroxychloroquine

With 7 lakh infected cases and over 20,000 deaths, coronavirus pandemic is one of the worst crisis we have seen of late. Even as India's rate of recovery remains high, India is also the 3rd worst affected nation globally.

Doctors are trying to use a number of approaches to curb the spread and save lives, including convalescent plasma therapy (CPT), a combination of drugs like hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), remdesivir and other anti-viral medications. However, experts believe that the one drug which might be most promising is a cheap inflammation-fighting drug, Dexamethasone

A UK-based research published last month found out that dexamethasone, a cheap steroid drug used to fight inflammation emerged as a life-saving drug in COVID-19 treatment as it was capable of lessening the inflammation in moderate and severe patients. More so, the data collected showed that dexamethasone was able to cut down the mortality rate by 1/3rd in patients put on ventilator and by 1/5 th in those with less severe symptoms.

There is no one treatment plan or medicine approved for use against SARS-COV2 virus right now. After the infamous HCQ controversy, the prime drug being depended on remained to be remdesivir. A drug like remdesivir targets this genetic code, modifies it and is able to stop or interrupt viral infection.

While studies say that remdesivir maybe able to speed up recovery, it does not carry the same benefits for all patients. So far, it has only been found to be effective in patients with mild or moderate symptoms.

In retrospect, a drug like dexamethasone carries far fewer side-effects and so far, has been found to be helpful for patients in severe stages.

The treatment pricing plan is also a lot cheaper, with dexamethasone. A course of treatment at the prescribed dose may even cost less than Rs 10 per patient, making it super affordable. On the other hand, other anti-viral treatments require consistent dosage which could run into thousands of rupees with a single dose.

One of the best benefits of dexamethasone is its easy availability. Unlike a lot of treatment drugs running out of stock in the market, dexamethasone is low-cost and readily available, giving it an edge over other candidates.

Even as experts study other consequential data over the administration of dexamethasone, it is to be noted that very little side effects have been found surrounding the same, marking it one of the safest drugs available right now. It's also easily available in India and has been hailed by WHO as a "promising and safe" drug, even as medical bodies scout for a vaccine.

While Dexamethasone shows life-saving benefits for COVID+ patients and might cut mortality rates, there is no conclusive proof that it is indeed the wonder drug. While we wait for more evidence, non-pharmaceutical measures, including social distancing and sanitation are the only things which can tackle the spread right now.

It is to be noted that dexamethasone is a largely experimental drug and being administered in low-doses. Like any prescription medicine, it carries side-effects if not used correctly. Anti-inflammation drugs like these can induce problems like acne, increased sweating, rashes, hyperglycemia, growth defects in pediatric patients, sodium retention and muscle weakness. Long term side-effects of the same are still under study.