Experimental treatment claims to reduce COVID-19 mortality of hospitalised patients significantly

A drug used to suppress hyperactivity of the body's immune system can rapidly improve the condition of COVID-19 patients, reduce hospital deaths and take patients off ventilators.

A report published in the scientific journal Annals of Rheumatic Diseases (ARD), published by the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), a European non-governmental organisation, studies the relationship between COVID-19 and Cytokine storm syndrome (CSS) and its treatment. The study has indicated that the condition of severe COVID-19 patients can be improved by using glucocorticoids and IL-6 inhibitors (which are a type of steroids) and closely monitoring patients.

The study claimed that by following the protocols associated with this experimental treatment, deaths from COVID-19 in hospitals could be brought down by as much as 65%. Researchers have also said that with the help of this experiment, the scope of improvement in shortness of breath - a primary symptom of COVID-19 - in patients is 79% higher than normal treatment, which can be improved over time. In addition, this type of treatment can reduce the recruitment of patients for mechanical ventilation by up to 71%.

Health experts point out that severe consequences of the COVID-19 infection are often associated with cytokine storms. This condition arises when the immune system becomes excessively active due to infection. Due to this, inflammation and irritation in the internal organs of the body starts systematically. Many times it results in the death of the patient. COVID-19 is reported to have seen immune hyperactivity as an important problem in about 25% of its patients.

In such a situation, researchers from Netherlands-based Zuyderland Medical Center (ZMC) have found that CSS was the cause of death of 40% of severe COVID-19 patients admitted there in March. At the same time, an analysis of data for the month of April revealed that 86 patients were treated with the help of drugs containing IL-6 and glucocorticoids.

Comparing them to patients admitted in March revealed that the use of glucocorticoids had dramatically improved the condition of serious patients with COVID-19. It must be stressed that these results were seen only in the case of COVID-19 patients affected by cytokine storm. All patients did not try related inhibitor-containing drugs.

According to experts, the results in this study are contrary to claims that serious patients with coronavirus from glucocorticoids should not be treated. Significantly, several medical experts, including some from the World Health Organization (WHO), have warned that the use of glucocorticoids in severe cases of COVID-19 can have serious consequences on patients.

But the results of the ZMC study tell a different story. Researchers here say that a randomized controlled trial needs to be carried out to confirm the claims made so far regarding treatment with glucocorticoids, indicating positive results related to this inhibitor. They further suggest that cytokine storm syndrome should be accepted as a complication of COVID-19, which can be treated and treatment that suppresses immunity should be initiated early.