The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday hailed a "scientific breakthrough" after the announcement by British researchers that a drug in the steroid family significantly reduced mortality in severely affected by coronavirus.
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"First proven treatment"
"It is the first proven treatment that reduces mortality in patients with coronaviruses assisted by oxygen or a respirator," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement.
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"This is good news and I congratulate the British government, the University of Oxford and the many hospitals and patients in the UK who have contributed to this life-saving scientific breakthrough," he added.