Following a UK report on Tuesday that dexamethasone, a widely available steroid, reduced deaths by up to one third in severely ill hospitalized patients, Israeli media reports on Wednesday said that some Israeli hospitals have already been using the drug for months to treat coronavirus patients.

The steroid has been used at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, and Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, a Channel 13 News report said.

Ronen Ben-Ami, head of the infectious diseases department at Ichilov, told Ynet that since the coronavirus causes inflammation in the body, the steroid was given to suppress the immune system. Ben-Ami said that some patients who received the drug stabilized and did not require respirator assistance but it’s not yet clear how large a role the drug played in preventing fatalities.

The UK study was the same study that proved earlier this month that the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine is not effective against the coronavirus.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)