NWRHA director: Do not hoard steroids for covid19

Dr Antony Parkinson, acting director of health at the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA), is pleading with the public not to go and stock up on the steroid dexamethasone to protect themselves from covid19.

Dexamethasone has shown to be effective in treating covid19. He emphasised that it is not a cure and there is no cure for covid19.

Steroids, he said, were only effective later in the treatment of covid19. People who take it early in their illness would cause their body more harm than good, as the drug is used when the body deteriorates.

“Do not hoard steroids. Steroids taken too early will make the virus worse. That’s when the doctors will give it to you. Do not take steroids for covid19.”