Inhaled steroid ‘speeds recovery’ in mild COVID-19
Promising early trial results might prove to be a significant milestone, researchers say
Treating COVID-19 patients at home with inhaled budesonide can speed their recovery, according to preliminary results from a UK trial.
The researchers behind the PRINCIPLE trial said the findings, yet to be peer-reviewed, might lead doctors to prescribe budesonide inhalers to patients with COVID-19 who were not sick enough to be hospitalised.
The study involved 961 patients who were randomly assigned to receive inhaled budesonide and compared with 1819 patients assigned to the usual standard of care.
Some 751 people in the budesonide group and 1028 in the usual care group were SARS-CoV-2 positive and included in the interim analysis.
