Two existing drugs have been shown to cut the chances of ventilated Covid-19 patients dying by almost half. The findings from a world-leading NHS clinical trial could save thousands of lives of people who end up needing oxygen.
The latest result of the 4,000-patient Recovery trial showed that using arthritis drug tocilizumab reduced death rates by 15%.
Taken alongside dexamethasone - the first drug previously shown to save lives of Covid patients - the benefit was even higher.
The combination reduced deaths by a third in patients who remained conscious but needed oxygen support. When used on patients in a coma on a ventilator then death rates were reduced by almost half.