Covid drug available here

Thursday 18 June 2020

A "life-saving" drug which can be used to treat Covid-19 patients is already available in Guernsey, and we're told "stocks are good" if it is ever needed.

The medical publication, The Lancet has said it can be beneficial to patients suffering from the acute respiratory disease caused by the corona virus.

The news has been reported by multiple national and international media outlets, with claims that the steroid can "reduce death rates by about a third among the most severely ill Covid-19 patients admitted to hospital".

The use of the "cheap and widely used steroid" has been described as a "major breakthrough" in the corona virus pandemic which is still claiming around 100 deaths a day in the UK, with cases continuing to be discovered elsewhere in the world.

Pictured: Guernsey's Princess Elizabeth Hospital is now operating 'as normal' after the first wave of corona virus in the Bailiwick.

The Bailiwick of Guernsey is currently 'covid-free' after more than a month without any new cases being confirmed. 252 people have so far tested positive for the virus in Guernsey, with no residents in any of the other islands being confirmed to have had the virus.

Of the 252 confirmed cases, 13 people died after testing positive for the virus, while a further three deaths between March and May are also being linked with the pandemic.

The other patients are all considered to have recovered with no known active cases of Covid-19 since the end of May in Guernsey.

The Director of Public Health has repeatedly said the Bailiwick needs to be prepared for a second wave of the virus though. 

Dr Nicola Brink, and the President of Health and Social Care, Deputy Heidi Soulsby, have both said they expect more positive cases to be confirmed in the island, and that when that happens no one needs to panic as the island's Public Health team will resume its 'track and trace' efforts to contain the virus.

Pictured: Deputy Heidi Soulsby and Dr Nicola Brink.

While very few of the 252 people confirmed to have had the corona virus so far needed hospital treatment, the PEH was set up so it could offer Intensive Care Treatment to more people than usual. A temporary ICU was created within the Day Patient Unit, and although it has recently been returned to its normal use so routine surgeries could resume, hospital staff could quickly reinstate it if necessary during a second wave of the virus.

HSC said it that happens, staff are also able to use Dexamethasone if it will benefit an individual patient.

"HSC is aware of the Lancet paper detailing the use of Dexamethasone in COVID-19 patients," a spokesperson for Health said.

"Dexamethasone is a drug we use routinely in Guernsey; stocks are good; and we are part of the NHS supply chain in any case where again stocks are good. Any Guernsey patient who contracted COVID-19 and would benefit from it, will receive it."

Pictured top: Dexamethasone (stock image).