Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said this is because the drug, Dexamethasone, has side effects, including muscle weakness and bone loss.

He said the drug has actually been in use in the country for treating other illnesses, including cancer.

“”From day one, we have been using this medicine. It is not something new but because of the Covid-19 infections, every day brings new lessons and challenges.

“Now, we have evidence to show it works in Category 5 patients, which means that for patients who have been ventilated, one-third of them respond to the treatment and recover,” he said.

Therefore, he said, evidence suggested that they could use Dexamethasone.

“But nonetheless, we must be careful in the use of this medicine as it has its side effects and complications,” he said.

Noor Hisham said the ministry had been using Dexamethasone in 4mg doses twice or three times a day for a maximum of five days in treating Category 4 and 5 Covid-19 patients.

He said the randomised clinical trials of Dexamethasone at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom showed the drug helps to reduce inflammation, and this reduces the risk of death among Covid-19 patients with serious breathing difficulties, especially those requiring respiratory assistance.

But he said, the data shows that the drug does not help in the treatment of Covid-19 patients with light symptoms.

On the five Covid-19 cases in Bintulu, Sarawak, Noor Hisham said active case detection was being carried out.

“The positive cases are among the family members,: he said, adding that investigations on the source of the infection were ongoing.

“But we are sure the cases have been isolated and treated.”

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