The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said that the new COVID-19 drug, Dexamethasone has not been approved for use in the treatment of patients with the viral disease in Nigeria.

The drug, which scientists in the United Kingdom have hailed as a major breakthrough, is a widely used low-dose steroid which has been found to considerably reduce the risk of patients dying from COVID-19.

The NCDC in a series of Tweets posted on Tuesday night, June 16 said it is aware of the drug, however the drug has not yet been approved for use in Nigeria.

“The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is aware of recent outcomes from a UK-Government funded clinical trial for COVID-19. The results support the use of Dexamethasone as a possible treatment to reduce the risk of death among COVID-19 patients, who require oxygen or mechanical ventilation.

Please note that the Government of Nigeria has not validated or approved any treatment for COVID-19. In addition, the use of Dexamethasone for COVID-19 treatment has not been validated by WHO.

We are aware of ongoing clinical trials conducted by scientists in the UK and will work with our sister agencies to evaluate this emerging data on the use of Dexamethasone. We will inform the general public on outcomes following scientific review and validation.” the NCDC tweet read.