PUTRAJAYA: The health ministry has cautioned against the use of a drug which has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of death in severe Covid-19 cases without a doctor’s prescription.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said this is because the drug, Dexamethasone, has side effects, including muscle weakness and bone loss.
He said the drug has actually been in use in the country for treating other illnesses, including cancer.
“”From day one, we have been using this medicine. It is not something new but because of the Covid-19 infections, every day brings new lessons and challenges.
“Now, we have evidence to show it works in Category 5 patients, which means that for patients who have been ventilated, one-third of them respond to the treatment and recover,” he said.
Therefore, he said, evidence suggested that they could use Dexamethasone.
“But nonetheless, we must be careful in the use of this medicine as it has its side effects and complications,” he said.
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