A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the commonly used steroid drugs dexamethasone, hydrocortisone and methylprednisolone can help to reduce the mortality rate from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) by up to 33 percent.
This meta-analysis of numerous studies, collectively involving 1,700 patients, demonstrated that these cheap corticosteroid drugs, which suppress an overactive immune system by quelling inflammation, definitely help to reduce one's risk of dying from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).
The data is an "unambiguous win," according to researchers, who say that such drugs should become "standard treatment" for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) based on their effectiveness.
"This to me feels like one of the first unambiguous wins in trying to combat COVID-19," stated Derek C. Angus, a distinguished professor of critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. Angus also helped lead the meta-analysis.
The results are particularly encouraging, according to Angus, because they show an unusual consistency across various types of steroid drugs within the same class. In other words, one of them seems to work just as well as another, suggesting they could be interchangeable for this specific use.
The only caveat, he says, is that corticosteroids only seem to work in "the sickest" of patients who are actually hospitalized for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). The vast majority of others who never show symptoms and who never require specialized care may not benefit from their use.
By the way, the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) and prospective treatments for it can be found at Pandemic.news.
Officially, there is no proven remedy for early-stage infection, though many would contend that nutrients like zinc and green tea (which has epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) are always beneficial in helping to naturally boost the immune system, giving it the resources it needs to ward off all sorts of pathogens.
"The steroids appear to work by dampening a hyperactive immune response that is thought to be a major cause of death," reports Zero Hedge, noting some researchers who believe that while "it's still too early to know for certain how it works, this so-called 'cytokine storm' has been a major topic of mystery and discussion among researchers and doctors."
The researchers involved with this latest study, however, are not convinced that this explanation is valid. They say it might be "too simplistic," especially since it is obvious to them that other parts of the immune system also appear to be at work.
"It's almost death by friendly fire," the study itself explains. "You end up causing more trouble with your own immune system than the virus itself."
This latest revelation about corticosteroids combined with the recent unveiling of a rapid, cheap test for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) suggests that we could be closer than ever before to finally seeing the economy fully reopened, and things returned to "normal."
"Cheap steroids, like HCQ, aren't approved for the treatment of COVID-19 and should be banned at once," joked one Zero Hedge commenter sarcastically.
"Only a vaccine approved of by Dr. Fauci, the greatest man the world of medicine has ever seen, will be acceptable and mandatory. Even with a vaccine, though, we still must wear our masks."
Another wrote that steroid inhalers have also shown benefits in treating the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), but that such information has been censored from the public.
"The WHO is now pushing a pill version that doesn't go in your lungs," the same commenter added. "Who makes this **** up?"
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