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Fri, Mar

Clinicians May Begin Dexamethasone Trials On COVID-19 Patients- Health Minister

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The battle against coronavirus seems to harden further even as the federal government has suggested clinical trials of the drug, Dexamethasone for COVID-19 treatment.

 

Nigerian health minister, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, on Thursday, while speaking at the PTF's COVID-19 daily briefing in Abuja said, clinicians will be directed to consider the use of Dexamethasone on COVID-19 patients for their trials to see how well it works.

The Nigerian government could be keying into the adoption of the drug by the British government which had announced that according to UK researchers Dexamethasone, cheap and widely available drug was effective for patients seriously down with COVID-19, and has reduced death risk.

Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid hormone (glucocorticoid).

It is an oral tablet used to treat conditions such as arthritis, blood/hormone/immune system disorders, allergic reactions, certain skin and eye conditions, breathing problems, certain bowel disorders, and certain cancers.

It is also used as a test for an adrenal gland disorder (Cushing's syndrome).

Meanwhile, Nigeria has recorded its highest daily spike of COVID-19 new cases numbering up to 745, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 18,480. patients discharged 6,307, while 475 persons have died.”

Similarly, Chinese President Xi Jinping had announced the debt cancellation of relevant African countries in the form of interest-free government loans that are due to mature by the end of 2020.

The debt cancellation he said is within the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) framework and is for those African countries that are hardest hit by the Coronavirus and are under heavy financial stress.

This followed a plea by President Muhammadu Buhari during a virtual Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against the COVID-19, to the international community to support collaborations and initiatives aimed at sharing knowledge from research and science to fight the Coronavirus pandemic.

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