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Common asthma drug cuts hospitalization risk

A commonly used asthma treatment appears to reduce the need for hospitalizations as well as recovery time for COVID-19 patients if it’s given within seven days of symptoms appearing, researchers at the University of Oxford said.

The findings were made following a mid-stage study of the steroid budesonide, sold as Pulmicort by AstraZeneca.

The 28-day study of 146 patients suggested that inhaled budesonide reduced the risk of urgent care or hospitalization by 90% compared with the usual care.