Inhale & hearty hearty

Four daily puffs of £14 inhaler proven to work against Covid

A COMMON asthma inhaler costing just £14 has been proven to work against coronavirus.

GPs are being encouraged to prescribe the puffers for older patients to self-treat at home after a clinical trial found it helped non-hospitalised over-50s cope with and recover from Covid-19.

Two puffs of the budesonide inhaler, twice a day, is enough to see results, the

NHS trial showed.

Research at Oxford university found the drug, a corticosteroid, can cut recovery time by three days.

Those who use it are 46% more likely to report sustained recovery after 28 days, it was found. It suggests the inhaler reduces the risk of debilitating long covid.

NHS England told GPs to consider prescribing the drug immediately to older people on a case-by-case basis.

Prof Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said doctors could go ahead “where there is a medical benefit to patients following a shared decision conversation”.

The Government-funded clinical trial was set up to identify existing drugs that work against Covid-19.

The findings means the UK has identified the world’s first cheap, readily available and effective drug for patients to selftreat at home.

The trial involved 1,799 DRUG Budesonide treats asthma patients who reported symptoms to their GP and were either over 65 or aged 50 to 64 with another health condition.

Analysis showed budesonide cut recovery time by three days in patients at higher risk of more severe illness who were treated in the community.

Prof Richard Hobbs, the clinical trial’s chief investigator, hailed the discovery a “significant milestone”.

He said: “For the first time we have high-quality evidence of an effective treatment that can be rolled out across the community for people who are at most risk of developing more severe illness from Covid-19.

“Unlike other proven treatments, budesonide is effective as a treatment at home and during the early stages of the illness.”

After 28 days, 32% of patients on budesonide reported sustained recovery compared to 22% given standard NHS care, scientists found.

Co-principal investigator Gail Hayward said: “I’m a GP as well as a

clinical researcher, and for the first time in this pandemic I now have evidence for a treatment to offer my patients.

“This does have significant implications for the world because this is the first time a treatment has been shown to be beneficial for patients in the community, and the majority of patients who get Covid are in the community.”

The PRINCIPLE trial was halted on March 31, once researchers were sure the drug worked, so that it could be quickly offered to as many people as possible.

More severe symptoms of Covid-19 are believed to be triggered by an overreaction of the immune system attacking tissue in the lungs.

The inhaler is thought to act as an anti-inflammatory drug to dampen down this overreaction.

Scientists also believe that budesonide could help prevent the virus from replicating.

Professor Chris Butler, joint chief investigator of the trial, said: “We all look forward to the full findings from the trial and any further recommendations on ways GPs can treat Covid-19 patients in their homes.”