A common arthritis drug may lower the death rate from severe COVID-19, a new study says. Researchers at the University of Oxford found that patients hospitalized with COVID-19 got tocilizumab were less likely to die or not need to be placed on a ventilator, according to a study published on the pre-print server medRXiv(It has not yet been peer-reviewed.) Tocilizumab is an anti-inflammatory monoclonal antibody commonly used for rheumatoid arthritis. It blocks an inflammatory protein called IL-6, which can reduce pain and swelling from arthritis and other conditions that cause inflammation. Read on to see the evidence – and to ensure your health and that of others, don’t miss these Signs You’ve Already Had Coronavirus.
Tocilizumab reduced the risk of death from COVID by 14%, researchers said
“Based on our calculations, we believe that about half of the patients admitted would benefit from this drug,” said Peter Horby, a professor of medicine at Oxford University. “We think this can happen almost immediately.”
The trial found that tocilizumab reduced the risk of death by 14% compared to patients who received standard care. It also reduced the number of patients to be placed on a ventilator by 5%.
Most of the patients in the study received tocilizumab in addition to dexamethasone, a steroid that has been shown to be beneficial in hospitalized COVID patients.
“Our data suggest that in COVID-19 patients who are hypoxic and have signs of systemic inflammation, treatment with a combination of a systemic corticosteroid plus tocilizumab is expected to reduce mortality by approximately one third for patients receiving single oxygen and nearly a third. – half for those receiving invasive mechanical ventilation, “the researchers wrote.
“Now we can reduce the risk of death by about a third to a maximum of half [compared to the beginning of the pandemic last spring]depending on which patients are being treated, ”said Martin Landray, a professor at the University of Oxford.
COVID-19 appears to cause inflammation that can damage various organs in the body, including the lungs, blood vessels, brain and kidneys. In severe cases, that inflammation can lead to breathing difficulties and ultimately organ failure from lack of oxygen.
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How to survive this pandemic
As for you, do everything you can to avoid getting – and spreading – COVID-19 in the first place: Wear a face mask, get tested if you think you have coronavirus, avoid crowds (and bars and house parties), practice social distance, only run essential errands, wash your hands regularly, disinfect frequently touched surfaces, and get through this pandemic in your healthiest way come, don’t miss this one 35 Places You’re Likely to Catch COVID