Guilherme – June 16, 2020. Evening TV news shows across the world were suddenly opening with the result of our research, and rightly so. Dexamethasone was the first drug to be shown to save the lives of people infected with COVID-19. To a young researcher like me, that day felt like being part of history. It was a gift from the UK to the world.
Two years ago this week, the Recovery trial transformed the care of COVID patients with its dexamethasone announcement. Within four hours, the steroid was included in NHS treatment recommendations. Almost overnight, treatment of COVID patients around the world changed completely. It has been estimated that dexamethasone may have saved a million lives in the first nine months following the announcement.
