Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza has said that steroid dexamethasone should only be used to treat critically ill Covid-19 patients.

Speaking to anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada on Geo News, he advised against employing the drug to treat asymptomatic or mild patients of the novel coronavirus.

"This drug has side effects. It should only be used by doctors to treat hospitalised, critically ill, dying patients," he said.

He said that he had heard that the drug was already becoming scarce in Pakistani markets.

"It's unfortunate because this [drug's scarcity] means that people are either hoarding it or have started using it without doctors' recommendation," he said.

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