Can Steroids Treat Coronavirus? New Research Says Yes

As the world holds its breath for a possible vaccine to prevent infection with the COVID-19 virus, researchers around the world are still trying to find a way to treat the virus effectively in those already infected. Many different existing treatments have been tried, with varying results.

The latest research may show that simple steroids could be a lifesaving treatment. A new study has confirmed that patients who are severely ill with COVID-19 can be treated with corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs that fight the effects of an overactive immune system response.

The Cytokine Storm

The coronavirus is still puzzling doctors and researchers around the globe. While some people who contract the virus have minimal or no symptoms, others undergo the most severe illness of their lives, often ending up on a ventilator in the intensive care unit. One of the reasons for a severe COVID-19 reaction involves what is known as a cytokine storm. Typically, an individual’s immune system identifies a threat, such as a virus, and begins to fight it off with antibodies. However, for those experiencing a cytokine storm, their immune system overreacts by releasing a flood of proteins, causing what can be life-threatening damage to vital organs.

Using Steroids

Corticosteroids are already a well-known and relatively cheap treatment that is used to suppress an overactive immune system response. These anti-inflammatory drugs are readily accessible to the general public, and they might hold the key to treating severe cases of COVID-19.

The most recent research on the use of corticosteroids with severely ill COVID-19 patients supports this conclusion. The results from seven different studies were compiled by the World Health Organization and published on Wednesday, September 2, by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

This research showed that treating severely ill COVID-19 patients (those in need of extra oxygen, specifically) with corticosteroids effectively reduced the risk of death during the first month by nearly one-third, as compared with placebo or typical care. Dexamethasone, one of the earliest steroids tested by researchers, reduced deaths by 35 percent in those requiring breathing treatments and by 20 percent in those receiving extra oxygen. The success of this first round of testing led researchers to explore other steroids as potential treatments, and the results so far have been very encouraging.