Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has warned against the use of dexamethasone as a preventive drug for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19)

The FDA said Dexamethasone – a steroid drug that British medical scientists have hailed as a breakthrough in the COVID-19 fight – should only be prescribed by a licensed medical practitioner for specific indications.

According to the FDA corticosteroid drug (Dexamethasone) has some serious side effects which people should be wary of.

"Dexamethasone suppresses the immune system, and in the UK study, this effect was beneficial and needed in order to suppress the clinically problematic excessive immune reaction in severe and critical COVID-19 cases,” a statement from the FDA said.

"Dexamethasone should therefore NOT under any circumstances be used for the prevention of COVID-19 as its potential to suppress the immune system will counteract the body's natural function to fight against COVID-19 and other infections in long term use” it added.

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The FDA also stressed that dexamethasone is shown to "be beneficial only in preventing some deaths in COVID 19 patients on ventilators and oxygen and not asymptomatic or mild to moderately ill patients".

According to the Authority, the "Ministry of Health's Provisional Standard Treatment Guideline for Novel Coronavirus infection (2020) has already made provisions for this category of patients by including another corticosteroid which will be used for similar indication should the need arise".

The statement concluded by cautioning the public against "the purchase, stocking, and use of dexamethasone or any other corticosteroid medicine unless certified by healthcare professionals."