COVID-19 and the Risks in Self-Medicating With Dexamethasone

By Nana Dadzie Ghansah

Self-medication, classically defined as “the taking of drugs, herbs or home remedies on one’s initiative, or on the advice of another person, without consulting a doctor,” is a public health problem seen all over the world. In Ghana, it is estimated that one in every two Ghanaians is known to self-medicate with drugs obtained from pharmacies or herbal remedies from traditional healers. The cost of medical care, the long wait times at hospitals, the ease of getting drugs from pharmacies, and the influence of family and friends are reasons for this practice. Often, the most significant dangers are posed by the side-effects of the drugs.

Ghanaians are known to try self-medicating to prevent and treat most ailments, even COVID-19, the global pandemic that has infected over 8 million people and killed over 440,000 since it broke out last year in Wuhan, China. Social media is rife with all manner of remedies like inhalation of steam or drinking of Neem extracts. Hydroxychloroquine has been used too.

Last week, the Recovery Trial team at Oxford University in the UK reported that the drug dexamethasone reduced mortality in patients with severe COVID-19. With this announcement, there is a risk that Ghanaians might consider self-medicating with dexamethasone to prevent or even…