Oxford Academics Claim to Have Found First Drug Improving COVID-19 Survival, but Did They?
“Dexamethasone is the first drug to be shown to improve survival in COVID-19. This is an extremely welcome result,” said Peter Horby, Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford.
THIS STORY IS DEVELOPING: SEE OUR OTHER OXFORD TRIAL POSTS HERE.
His colleague Martin Landray, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, the other “Chief Investigator” of the controversial RECOVERY clinical trials, said: “it is fantastic that the first treatment demonstrated to reduce mortality is one that is instantly available and affordable worldwide.”
In other words, these Oxford researchers pretend they are the first in the world to have found a cure for COVID-19. Is that really the case? Let’s have a look.
For making such claim, the two academics have to totally disregard the considerable clinical and academic work that was done at IHU-Marseille, by Professor Didier Raoult and his team, with mortality rates considerably lower than in their Oxford clinical trial.
Today’s carefully crafted media release by Oxford University does not provide clear information about the actual mortality rates in this particular part of the RECOVERY clinical trial. What is known from the information released by Oxford on June 5 is that the hospital level mortality rate for COVID-19 reaches the astounding level of 24.2%, on the basis of 4 674 patients.
What the Oxford researchers continue to deny is that there is a treatment for COVID-19, as implemented at IHU-Marseille, that considerably reduces mortality, with overall case fatality rates for treated patients of less than 1%. Hospital level mortality rate is 5% there. Even the ICU-level fatality rate at the IHU Marseille is lower than the hospital level mortality rate in the UK.
So, the Oxford researchers make false claims, in my opinion. They did not find “the first treatment demonstrated to reduce mortality” and dexamethasone is not “the first drug to be shown to improve survival in COVID-19.”
As far as dexamethasone is concerned, it’s a common corticosteroid, anti-inflammatory medication, that is already used for treating COVID-19 at late stages of the disease.
A less potent corticosteroid, methylprednisolone, is actually used in the MATH+ treatment protocol developed by the Eastern Virginia Medical Group – which we covered in detail in this article and in this must watch video interview with Professor Joseph Varon.
The Oxford researchers are actually now being scrutinized by the French media, in particular the France Soir newspaper, which revealed how the two academics came up with questionable dosages for hydroxychloroquine in their research.
France Soir also published a damaging exposé “CovidPapers, Recovery: Incompetence, Mensonge, Manipulation et Gros Dollars” which translates into: “CovidPapers, Recovery: Incompetence, Lie, Manipulation and Big Dollars.”
Reacting to the Oxford announcement, Professor Didier Raoult tweeted:
“We are shocked by the monstrous death rate in the SOC group of the RECOVERY trial: 41% in ventilated patients; 25% in the patients requiring oxygen; 13% in the group not requiring any intervention.
Rates @ Marseille: ICU: 16%.; Hospital: 5%.; Treated: 0.6%.”
On June 8, Professor Didier Raoult had already commented on the very high UK hospital level mortality rates.
“In addition, the mortality rates in this clinical trial are appalling (close to 25%) for hospitalized patients without any criteria of additional gravity. It’s more than for hospitalized patients in France (12%) and more than for ICU patients in Marseille (16%)”
As expected, the mainstream media believed every single word of the Oxford media release. “First drug proves able to improve survival from COVID-19” — AP; “Coronavirus: Dexamethasone proves first life-saving drug” — BBC; “Researchers in England say they have the first evidence that a drug can improve COVID-19 survival” — USA Today, etc.
While the use of corticosteroid, anti-inflammatory medications, is obviously welcome for late stage COVID-19 patients, the real solution lies in preventing patients from reaching such late stage of the disease, where the chances of mortality, lasting organ damage and other severe health issues are high.
The real solution to reduce mortality is through early treatment, and we analyzed in the article below how that could be pretty easily implemented in the UK and elsewhere.
And by the way, hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and zinc are “instantly available and affordable worldwide” – like dexamethasone!
