This was included in the Recovery Trial because it's a readily available, cheap and well understood drug, and because there have been reports in the past of benefit in viral respiratory infections, but it's been an area of huge controversy, even at the time of SARS1 in 2003, steroids were used, but at very different doses. Some of the studies showed a harm from steroids in SARS, some said there's possible benefits. A meta-analysis in 29 different studies in SARS was inconclusive. There's also been inconclusive results on MERS coronavirus and also influenza.

Peter Horby

Peter Horby is a British medical doctor, epidemiologist, and Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Global Health at the University of Oxford and Chair of the UK government's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG). He is the founder, and former Director of the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Hanoi, Vietnam which was founded in 2006. In 2014 Peter established the Epidemic Research Group Oxford (ERGO). ERGO incorporates a number of international projects such as the European Commission funded PREPARE and the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC). In 2016 Peter became Chair of ISARIC Horby specialises in the design of control programmes against infectious diseases. He is now heading up the major RECOVERY trial into drugs for COVID-19 Horby is one of the 23 attendees of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) He is the Chair of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG).

All Peter Horby quotes | Peter Horby Books