PUTRAJAYA: Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah today clarified that the only medication proven to be effective in slowing down the progress of Covid-19 infection is the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.
"Only dexamethasone is found to be effective in treating pneumonia and inflammation of the lungs. The other three, remdesivir, hydrocloroquine, the combination drug lopinavir/ritonavir, which was previously used to treat HIV and AIDS patients, are not effective in treating Covid-19," he said.
Dr Noor Hisham said the World Health Organisation had conducted studies on 190 Covid-19 patients using these medication and they have proven to be ineffective in slowing inflammation in the lungs.
"The results of the study found that these drugs did not help in reducing the number of deaths, reducing hospital admissions and preventing Category Three and Four patients from becoming Category Five.
"These drugs are not effective in preventing the development of the disease. So we can conclude they are not effective for us in treating Covid-19," he said.
Dr Noor Hisham said dexamethasone is used to treat Covid-19 at present in Malaysia.