Fife clinicians play key role in coronavirus treatment breakthrough

Clinicians in Fife have played an important role in the development of a new breakthrough treatment for patients with COVID-19.

Since early in the pandemic, NHS Fife has been a research site in the Recovery Trial - a UK-wide research project looking at a number of potential treatment options for patients with the virus.

The most significant breakthrough so far has been the discovery that the use of a particular steroid, dexamethasone, can considerably reduce the number of patients dying as a result of contracting COVID-19.

The drug was shown to reduce deaths by as much as one-third in patients requiring intensive care and one-fifth in patients requiring oxygen.

As a result of this clinical trial, the use of dexamethasone has now become the standard treatment the care of patients with moderate and severe COVID-19.

Dr Devesh Dhasmana, a consultant in respiratory medicine, was the principal investigator for the trial in Fife, and worked with the health board’s research and development department to co-ordinate the project locally.

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Dr Dhasmana said: ““While coronaviruses themselves have been around for a number of years, the virus that causes COVID-19 is new and more dangerous in a way that previous viruses had not been.

“It’s crucial that we learn as much as we can about the virus, and as quickly as we can, so that we can improve the range and impact of our available treatments.”

Dr Dhasmana said the early findings were encouraging, adding: “They are particularly helpful to us as medical staff in better informing the decisions we make in the care and treatment of patients now.

“Not only is the breakthrough discovered in the use of dexamethasone a world first, crucially it is already directly improving the treatment of COVID-19 for our most unwell patients here in Fife.”

The Recovery project is one of a number of clinical trials the department is supporting to improve the treatment of COVID-19 and a host of other conditions.

It coordinates a wide range of research studies, ranging from international multi-centre drug trials to short term student projects.

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