Hydrocortisone lowers COVID-19 mortality rate – Naturopathy & Naturopathic Treatment Portal

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Researchers from the international REMAP-CAP study group report that hydrocortisone reduces mortality in severe COVID-19 courses. REMAP-CAP is a worldwide networked cooperation of more than 250 intensive care units in different hospitals in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia. The cooperation conducts randomized clinical studies to examine the effectiveness of known drugs in COVID-19. The current research results were recently published in the “Journal of the American Medical Association” presented.

Hydrocortisone helps with severe COVID-19

Intensive care physicians at Jena University Hospital (UKJ) announce that “hydrocortisone counteracts organ failure in COVID-19 patients with severe pneumonia requiring ventilation and increases the patient’s chances of survival”. The UKJ belongs to the REMAP-CAP group and coordinates the 17 German intensive care units that are currently participating in the project.

COVID-19 sufferers often die from multiple organ failure

As part of the study, 384 patients who had to be ventilated because of severe pneumonia were given inexpensive and widely available cortisone preparations. According to the researchers, the intravenously administered drugs were found to be very effective and reduced the severity of organ failure in 93 percent of cases. The chances of survival of those affected increased significantly as a result.

The study results coincide with the latest findings from England, which showed that the cortisone preparation dexamethasone reduces the probability of death in severe COVID-19 courses by a third.

Cortisone is usually contraindicated in viral pneumonia

“Up to now, cortisone preparations were considered contraindicated for viral pneumonia,” emphasizes Mathias Pletz, director of the Institute for Infection Medicine and Hospital Hygiene at the UKJ. However, it has now been shown that hydrocortisone has a beneficial effect on severe COVID-19 pneumonia. This is an important message as dexamethasone is becoming scarce worldwide. Hydrocortisone, on the other hand, is a cheap and universally available remedy.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has already announced that it will incorporate the results of the study into current treatment recommendations for COVID-19.

Is COVID-19 research too fragmented?

Frank Brunkhorst is head of the study center at UKJ and is jointly responsible for the design and protocols of the studies carried out by the REMAP-CAP group. He thinks current COVID-19 research is too fragmented and divided into too many small studies. “In a pandemic like this one, we need large numbers of patients in order to quickly gain knowledge and progress in therapy,” the expert criticizes. This is only possible within the framework of international cooperation. This is the only way to achieve quick and reliable results. (vb)

Also read: Replace cortisone with gentler drugs that work equally well.