240k doses of Covid drug on way – Hancock
THE NHS has 240,000 doses of dexamethasone “in stock and on order”, the Health Secretary has said.
Researchers found that the drug reduces deaths by up to a third among patients on ventilators and by a fifth for those on oxygen.
Matt Hancock said finding a clinically proven treatment is an “important moment”, but cautioned: “It is not by any means a cure, but it is the best news we have had.”
He told MPs: “This is an important moment in the fight against this virus.
“It’s the first time that anyone in the world has clinically proven that a drug can improve the survival chances for the most seriously ill coronavirus patients.
“Seven other drugs are currently being trialled as part of the Recovery trial and a further nine further drugs are in live clinical trials as part of the Accord Programme, which is looking at early-stage treatments.”
Mr Hancock also confirmed that 592,204 people as of Tuesday have had an antibody test on the NHS.
Tory former health secretary Jeremy Hunt said 20% of people with Covid in hospital are estimated to have caught it in hospital, and asked when weekly testing will be introduced for all frontline NHS and care home staff.
Mr Hancock said repeat testing needs to “spread much further”, adding: “Some people in hospital settings are at higher risk, and it’s better to focus the resources for repeat testing on those in higher risk.”
Later, Mr Hancock said “based on the current evidence” he cannot recommend the use of temperature checks at airports.
Tory MP Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) asked why temperature checks could not be used in place of a 14day quarantine for overseas visitors to the UK.
Mr Hancock said: “I have looked into this in great detail and I am afraid I have been advised – and I have been persuaded by that advice – that this will not work.
“It has been tried in other parts of the world and they find the number of false positives is very high, meaning that you end up quarantining more, and the number of false negatives is also very, very high, so you actually find very, very few of the people who you are looking for.”
Downing Street said there was “no update” on when the NHS Covid-19 contact-tracing app would be ready for rollout. Mr Hancock had initially said it would be ready last month, but the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “I don’t have a date.”
The number of people who died after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Tuesday rose by 184.
In the 24-hour period up to 9am yesterday, there were 1,115 positive Covid-19 test results.