コロナ治療薬、２例目認定　手引改訂、抗炎症薬を追加―厚労省

　厚生労働省は２１日までに、新型コロナウイルス感染症の診療に当たる医療従事者向けの手引を改訂し、治療薬として抗炎症薬「デキサメタゾン」を追加掲載した。国内で使用が認められた治療薬は、５月に特例承認された「レムデシビル」に続いて２例目となった。
　手引の改訂は１７日付。手引によると、英国での試験の結果、デキサメタゾンを１０日間投与された重症者グループは、標準的な治療を受けたグループよりも死亡率が低かった。この結果を受け、米国立衛生研究所（ＮＩＨ）は６月に治療ガイドラインを改訂し、人工呼吸が必要な患者へのデキサメタゾン使用を推奨しているという。（2020/07/21-21:34）

Japan's health ministry has approved the use of the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone for treating patients with the novel coronavirus.
   The ministry revised on Friday its handbook for medical personnel dealing with COVID-19 patients by adding dexamethasone to the list of drugs that can be used for the treatment of the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.
   Dexamethasone became the second drug approved as COVID-19 treatment in Japan, following the antiviral drug remdesivir, which was approved in May.
   According to the revised handbook, a study in Britain showed that a group of coronavirus patients with severe symptoms who were administered with dexamethasone for 10 days had a lower death rate compared with that among patients who received standard treatment.
   Based on the study results, the U.S. National Institutes of Health revised in June its guidelines for treating coronavirus patients to recommend the use of dexamethasone in patients who require respiratory support.