The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has revealed that the new COVID-19 drug, Dexamethasone has not been approved for treating coronavirus patients in Nigeria.
The low-dose steroid treatment dexamethasone is a major breakthrough in the fight against the deadly virus, UK experts say. It considerably reduce the risk of patients dying from COVID-19.
NCDC said it is aware of the drug, however the drug has not yet been approved for use in Nigeria.
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NCDC tweeted: “The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is aware of recent outcomes from a UK-Government funded clinical trial for COVID-19. The results support the use of Dexamethasone as a possible treatment to reduce the risk of death among COVID-19 patients, who require oxygen or mechanical ventilation.
“Please note that the Government of Nigeria has not validated or approved any treatment for COVID-19. In addition, the use of Dexamethasone for COVID-19 treatment has not been validated by WHO.
“We are aware of ongoing clinical trials conducted by scientists in the UK and will work with our sister agencies to evaluate this emerging data on the use of Dexamethasone. We will inform the general public on outcomes following scientific review and validation.”