Coronavirus: 'I agreed to drug trial because I'm lucky to be alive'

Angela Breen feels "lucky to be alive"

A County Down woman who took part in a UK drug trial for Covid-19 has said she feels "lucky to be alive".

Mother-of-three Angela Breen, 37, was diagnosed with coronavirus in March.

But following a relapse in May, she was admitted to hospital after collapsing in the Ulster Hospital's emergency department.

"I had difficulty breathing, had terrible pains in my chest and honestly thought I might die," she said.

She has memories of "being surrounded by the resuscitation team."

The following day medical staff asked her to consider taking part in a drugs trial. It was exploring the impact Dexamethasone had on Covid-19.

"I said yes, I had nothing to lose, I was put on the drug and every day after than felt a little better and then I was discharged after seven days," she said.

Dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory drug, has proven to reduce the risk of death for Covid-19 patients on ventilation by as much as 35% and patients on oxygen by 20%.

These results make it the world's first medical breakthrough in treatments for the virus.

'Welcome breakthrough'

Dr Tom Trinick is a consultant chemical pathologist at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald, County Down.

"There's no question; it is a break-through. It's very welcome," he said.

"We are absolutely delighted because it means that a third of our hospitalized, seriously ill patients with pneumonic forms of Covid-19 will live".

He added: "It reduces mortality by an enormous amount, that's split into different proportions and it works better the more severe your disease is.

"It's a drug we've had for years. It's easy to use. It's very effective. It has a few side-effects. It couldn't really be better, so we're delighted."

Dr Trinick said he was "delighted"

About 12,000 patients took part in the UK - there are at least four other drugs being trialled across the UK including among patients in Northern Ireland.

The drug is available in every hospital pharmacy in the UK and around the world.

Costing £5, it is extremely affordable and if used at the start of the pandemic could have saved up to 5,000 patients.

The steroid drug stops the immune system from overreacting to Covid 19 - while it is not a cure it will help the sickest of patients to overcome the disease.

Jenny Foreman, clinical research nurse at the South Eastern Trust has nursed critically ill patients through the pandemic.

"This has absolutely been a break-through. This has been the news that we've been waiting for," she said.

"This is the first drug that's part of the recovery trial that has shown significant benefit - significant benefit to patients and it has been an amazing opportunity to be part of this."

She added: "It has been a national effort where patients have given of their time at their sickest, whenever they've been in hospital with Covid-19 and being willing to participate in research, because without research we're unable to answer the question whether this treatment is effective, and we always say today's research is tomorrow's standard of care".