THE Health Ministry has cautioned people not to consume dexamethasone without a doctor’s prescription, although clinical trials have shown that the steroid works in treating advanced cases of Covid-19. 

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the anti-inflammatory medicine was introduced in the 1960s and is administered for a variety of illnesses, including cancer.

Researchers led by a team from the University of Oxford administered dexamethasone to more than 2,000 severely ill Covid-19 patients.

Among those who could only breathe with the help of a ventilator, it reduced deaths by 35%, an AFP report said.

“The trial has shown that dexamethasone is useful for Covid-19 patients, especially those in category 5,” Noor Hisham said.

However, he said the drug is not recommended for mild cases in category 1 and 2, and should only be administered for not more than five days in advanced cases. 

Category 1 refers to positive cases with no symptoms, category 2 is for positive cases with mild symptoms while category 3 is for positive cases with pneumonia.

Meanwhile, category 4 is for pneumonia cases that require oxygen and category 5 is for cases that require breathing assistance.

“It has side effects and complications. So, doctors have to prescribe it. We advise the public to not use it without a prescription,” Noor Hisham said, adding muscle weakness and bone loss are some of the side effects of the drug. – June 17, 2020.