Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 22: The Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today warned against the irrational use of steroids in Covid-19 patients.
In a statement issued here, DAK President and influenza expert Dr Nisar ul Hassan said that indiscriminate use of steroids can trigger deadly black fungal infection.
Dr Nisar said that steroids are life-saving drugs in severe Covid patients who have respiratory distress or need oxygen or ventilation. “They are not indicated for those patients who are not having respiratory distress and are not having any kind of need for oxygen,” he said.
He said a recovery trial in the UK showed that steroids reduce mortality in severe Covid-19 patients. But they increase the mortality when given to patients with mild disease. “We are seeing steroids being prescribed to patients with mild Covid disease,” Dr Nisar said.
The DAK President said that the recovery trial recommends that steroids should be given for 10 days and at a lower dose. “But much higher doses are given and for a longer duration,” he said.
Dr Nisar said Covid-19 is a biphasic illness. “The first week of Covid is the viral replication phase. That is not when you should be using steroids,” he said, adding that giving steroids too early, too much and far too long can make Covid patients susceptible to black fungus.
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