ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr. Zafar Mirza has said a technical team in Pakistan will consider using Dexamethasone medicine to treat those critically ill with COVID-19.

In a tweet on Wednesday, he pointed out the World Health Organization (WHO) has welcomed the initial clinical trial results from the United Kingdom that show dexamethasone can be lifesaving for patients who are critically ill with COVID-19.

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Dr Zafar Mirza said it is an old and cheap anti-inflammatory medicine (steroid) and we have multiple producers in Pakistan.

The Special Assistant, however, warned dexamethasone is only for critically ill COVID-19 patients who are on oxygen and ventilators. He said the medicine must not be used by mild to moderate patients and that self-medication is strictly prohibited and can be dangerous as the medicine has many side-effects.