Among hospitalised COVID-19 patients needing oxygen therapy, high dose of dexamethasone reduced clinical worsening within 11 days after randomisation as compared with low dose of dexamethasone.

Further studies are necessary for confirming these preliminary results and to compare different types of corticosteroids, doses, and regimens in different stages of the disease.

A total of 200 patients (mean (sd) age, 64 (14) years; 62% male) were enrolled.

32 patients of 102 (31.4%) enrolled in the low dose group and 16 of 98 (16.3%) in the high dose group showed clinical worsening within 11 days since randomisation.

The 28-day mortality was 5.9% in the low dose group and 6.1% in the high dose group (p=0.844).

There was no significant difference in time to recovery, and in the 7-point ordinal scale at day 5, 11, 14 and 28.

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