An ampoule of dexamethasone. Researchers say the corticosteroid, used to treat some infections and cancers, could be an effective treatment for Covid-19. Reuters
An ampoule of dexamethasone. Researchers say the corticosteroid, used to treat some infections and cancers, could be an effective treatment for Covid-19. Reuters
An ampoule of dexamethasone. Researchers say the corticosteroid, used to treat some infections and cancers, could be an effective treatment for Covid-19. Reuters
An ampoule of dexamethasone. Researchers say the corticosteroid, used to treat some infections and cancers, could be an effective treatment for Covid-19. Reuters

Coronavirus: Four Middle East states trialing breakthrough Covid-19 treatment

Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Kuwait and Pakistan are taking part in clinical trials of steroid treatment

Mina Aldroubi
Mina Aldroubi
Abu Dhabi

June 24, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

A widely used steroid is the first medicine shown to save the lives of Covid-19 patients, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday.

More than 100 countries including Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Kuwait and Pakistan have joined clinical trials of dexamethasone, said Ahmed Al Mandhari, the WHO’s director for the Eastern Mediterranean.

Jordan will join the test countries, Dr Al Mandhari said.

He said the WHO was in the final stage of testing the drug and 1.5 million test tools had been given to 129 countries.

Militants of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, wearing protective masks against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread, march during a rehearsal for the Victory Day Parade in Donetsk, Ukraine. REUTERS
Militants of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, wearing protective masks against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread, march during a rehearsal for the Victory Day Parade in Donetsk, Ukraine. REUTERS
epa08503091 Peet (R) trains his students surrounded by plastic sheets to ensure social distancing at the Inspire South Bay Fitness gym amid the coronavirus pandemic in Redondo Beach, California. EPA
epa08503091 Peet (R) trains his students surrounded by plastic sheets to ensure social distancing at the Inspire South Bay Fitness gym amid the coronavirus pandemic in Redondo Beach, California. EPA
Face masks hang from a rope to dry at a house in Bahia Honda, Artemisa province, Cuba, amid the new coronavirus pandemic. Cuba has controlled the pandemic, but its economic income, which is partially used to buy food, was affected by the lack of tourism. The island now faces a food shortage which it is trying to alleviate by increasing local production. AFP
Face masks hang from a rope to dry at a house in Bahia Honda, Artemisa province, Cuba, amid the new coronavirus pandemic. Cuba has controlled the pandemic, but its economic income, which is partially used to buy food, was affected by the lack of tourism. The island now faces a food shortage which it is trying to alleviate by increasing local production. AFP
A health worker remains at the COVID-19 Hospitalization Operational Unit of the Military Field 1, at the National Defense Secretariat in Mexico City. The facility, originally a dormitory for the 6th Mortar Group, was adapted to serve high, medium and low severity COVID-19 patients. AFP
A health worker remains at the COVID-19 Hospitalization Operational Unit of the Military Field 1, at the National Defense Secretariat in Mexico City. The facility, originally a dormitory for the 6th Mortar Group, was adapted to serve high, medium and low severity COVID-19 patients. AFP
A view shows shared electric scooters parked in front of the Coliseum monument in Rome, as the country eases its lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19. With deconfinement and good weather, self-service shared electric scooters have invaded the streets of Rome in recent days, a novelty in the Eternal City, which in turn is discovering the joys and nuisances of new forms of mobility. AFP
A view shows shared electric scooters parked in front of the Coliseum monument in Rome, as the country eases its lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19. With deconfinement and good weather, self-service shared electric scooters have invaded the streets of Rome in recent days, a novelty in the Eternal City, which in turn is discovering the joys and nuisances of new forms of mobility. AFP
The Uceli Quartet perform for an audience made of plants during a concert created by Spanish artist Eugenio Ampudia and that will be later streamed to mark the reopening of the Liceu Grand Theatre in Barcelona following a national lockdown to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. AFP
The Uceli Quartet perform for an audience made of plants during a concert created by Spanish artist Eugenio Ampudia and that will be later streamed to mark the reopening of the Liceu Grand Theatre in Barcelona following a national lockdown to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. AFP
Barber Renan Estate gives a haircut to a child at home as part of his "Delivery Barber" service, as his shop is closed due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in the Complexo do Alemao slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. REUTERS
Barber Renan Estate gives a haircut to a child at home as part of his "Delivery Barber" service, as his shop is closed due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in the Complexo do Alemao slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. REUTERS
Members of the public pray at St Andrew Cathedral as places of worship reopen for private prayers in Glasgow, Scotland. Places of worship reopened in Scotland today, however only for individual prayer that involves physical distancing. Masses and other large scale services are not permitted yet. Getty Images
Members of the public pray at St Andrew Cathedral as places of worship reopen for private prayers in Glasgow, Scotland. Places of worship reopened in Scotland today, however only for individual prayer that involves physical distancing. Masses and other large scale services are not permitted yet. Getty Images
Quarantined employees of Toennies meat processing company receive food supplies in the district Suerenheide in Verl. According to media reports, over 1300 Toennies employees at the Rheda-Wiedenbrueck plant have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes the pandemic COVID-19 disease. EPA
Quarantined employees of Toennies meat processing company receive food supplies in the district Suerenheide in Verl. According to media reports, over 1300 Toennies employees at the Rheda-Wiedenbrueck plant have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes the pandemic COVID-19 disease. EPA
Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio (R) and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas pose for photographers during a bilateral meeting at villa Madama, a sixteenth-century villa seat of representation by the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Italian Republic, Rome, Italy. EPA
Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio (R) and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas pose for photographers during a bilateral meeting at villa Madama, a sixteenth-century villa seat of representation by the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Italian Republic, Rome, Italy. EPA

"In general, about 40 hospitals from the [Mena] region were included in clinical trials," the official told the Asharq Al Awsat  newspaper.

The drug, used since the 1960s to treat some infections and cancers, has been described as a “major breakthrough” in the pandemic, Dr Al Mandhari said.

The WHO said clinical trials in the UK found that dexamethasone can save the lives of patients who are severely ill with Covid-19.

More than 9.2 million infections with the coronavirus that causes the disease have been confirmed worldwide, a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University shows.

“For patients using ventilators, this treatment has been shown to reduce mortality by about a third," Dr Al Mandhari said.

"And for patients who only need oxygen, the death rate has been reduced by about a fifth."

He was referring to preliminary results Britain shared with the health agency.

“This is the first treatment that has been shown to reduce mortality in Covid-19 patients who need oxygen support,” Dr Al Mandhari said.

The disease, caused by the coronavirus, has killed more than 476,000 people globally.

Dexamethasone is on the US Food and Drug Administration’s list of drugs in short supply.

But suppliers including one of the largest, Germany’s Fresenius, said they had it available.

Dr Al Mandhari raised concern that many countries in the Middle East were easing restrictions against the pandemic without “adhering to the guidelines issued by the WHO, which constitutes a risk as cases continue to increase”.

He said conflict also posed a huge challenge to the world body’s ability to respond to the crisis.

This was caused by “the fragile health systems in the countries of conflict, the deterioration of infrastructure, the lack of medical personnel and the population being in generally poor health".

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDirect%20Debit%20System%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sept%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20with%20a%20subsidiary%20in%20the%20UK%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elaine%20Jones%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
On Women's Day
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
More on this story
More from this story
The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

How to help

Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:

2289 - Dh10

2252 - Dh50

6025 - Dh20

6027 - Dh100

6026 - Dh200

Whiile you're here
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from this package
More on animal trafficking
On Women's Day
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

While you're here
MATCH INFO

World Cup qualifier

Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')

UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')

ESSENTIALS

The flights 

Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes. 

Where to stay 

The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.

The biog

Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.

It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.

They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.

Killing of Qassem Suleimani
On Women's Day
While you're here
While you're here
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
  • Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
  • Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
  • The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
  • Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
  • It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
  • Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
  • Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

Kareem Shaheen on Canada
Read more about the coronavirus
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street

The seven points are:

Shakhbout bin Sultan Street

Dhafeer Street

Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)

Salama bint Butti Street

Al Dhafra Street

Rabdan Street

Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)

Profile

Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari

Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.

Number of employees: Over 50

Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised

Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital 

Sector of operation: Transport

While you're here
The Farewell

Director: Lulu Wang

Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma

Four stars

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel

Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry

Power: 1877bhp

Torque: 2300Nm

Price: Dh7,500,00

On sale: Now

 

You might also like
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More coverage from the Future Forum
Coronavirus