LONDON: A new group of drugs has been touted as a way to prevent COVID-19 infection and improve survival rates in hospital.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has cited dexamethasone, remdesivir, tocilizumab and other potential options to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Dexamethasone, a steroid tablet, has already been shown to aid the recovery of hospital patients, and has been credited by health chiefs with saving 22,000 lives.
Tocilizumab, an intravenous antibody drug, has shown promising results in reducing hospital deaths.
Mild benefits have been seen with remdesivir in the most extreme COVID-19 cases. It was developed to treat hepatitis C, and while it has not been proven to save lives, it is hoped that it will prevent severe disease from developing.
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