By Abdullah Momand
Islamabad: The Pandemic of Covid-19 has spread across the globe like fire in the jungle. It has infected around 8.6 million people in world killing around 0.4 million people.
While scientists and pharmacists are busy conducting experiments and trial of medicine to cure novel corona virus, a team of medical experts in Oxford University London claimed that steroid ‘Dexamethasone’ can become the first treatment for covid-19 infections reducing death rate.
According to the report of the Oxford University the death ratio of the corona virus infected patients reduced to one-third who were on support of ventilators while the death ratio of those patients inhaling oxygen through artificial sources reduced to 20% the report mentioned.
According to scientists of the oxford university the drug has been proven to reduce the risk of death significantly in COVID-19 patients on ventilation by as much as 35% and patients on oxygen by 20%.
The U.K. government on Wednesday authorized the State-funded National Health Service (NHS) to use steroid, the world’s first corona virus treatment proven to reduce the risk of death among severely ill patients.
The experts in the Oxford University noted that if the treatment of this medicine would start in the first stage of the covid-19 infection we can safeguard the lives of 5,000 people in the UK.
Advisor to Prime Minister Dr Zafar Mirza has recently claimed that Pakistan has adequate supply of the drug and may include it in the standard treatment for COVID-19 patients on ventilators or in need of oxygen. In a series of tweets, he said the WHO had responded positively to the new research and an expert committee in Pakistan will now consider making it part of the treatment plan. “It is an old & cheap anti-inflammatory medicine (steroid) & we have multiple producers in Pakistan,” he said. Mirza clarified that the medicine is only to be used for critically ill COVID-19 patients who are on ventilators or need oxygen. “The medicine Must Not be used by mild to moderate patients; self-medication is strictly prohibited and can be dangerous as the medicine has many side-effects,” he warned.
Is this steroid effective
Pakistan Institute of Medical Science (PIMS) medical experts Dr: Fazle Rabi told that Dexamethasone is available in market on different names because this is the name of formula not specific medicines. He added that we prescribed such steroids to different patients having flu, weakness and those patients pass through organ transplant but it doesn’t mean that every patient can use these steroids suffering from covid-19 because this medicine is only effective for those patients whose symptoms are serious and dependent on oxygen and ventilator.
Does this medicine cause death?
Dr Fazle Rabi noted that those patients who suffer from Hypertension, Diabetes and Cardiac disease or women who are pregnant can cause death due to the usage of this medicine because steroids boost the immune system but if someone uses it without a medical expert’s prescription can suffer.
Dexamethasone goes missing from market
Following the World Health Organization (WHO) announcement and the advisor to Prime Minister Dr : Zaffar Mirza statement, Dexamethasone is missing from the market of Islamabad and there are chances that people will sell it in black.
The medical expert Dr Fazle Rabi noted that the dose price this time in the market is 28 rupees but reports are coming that medicine is missing from the market and their prices surged in capital and this always happens in Pakistan.
The Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Muhammmad Hamza Shafqat issued a notification on Wednesday and announces that all those hoarders who are missing the life saving drugs from markets will be dealt strictly according to the law. He while directing the pharmacies mentioned that the medicine should only be purchased by those who have a valid prescription from the doctors.
But on Thursday the Islamabad Parma Association rejected the notification of DC Islamabad and mentioned that the virus spread all over the country but illegal notification only issued in Islamabad the deputy commissioner should withdraw this notification. Deputy Commissioner Islamabad while responding to the Parma Association Twitter handle noted that no one is allowed to exploit the patients suffering from covid-19 and we will not tolerate the exploitation of patients with the hands of pharmacies and I will never withdraw the notification.
Abdullah Momand is Special Correspondent of Islamabad Telegraph