World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday that new evidence shows corticosteroids can be life-saving for COVID-19 patients on oxygen and ventilators.

however, it was also found not to be helpful for patients with mild or moderate disease and it could be harmful to them.

Therefore, the director-general said the organization recommends the use of corticosteroids on critically ill COVID-19 patients only.

Tedros told press conference that new research shows non-communicable diseases (NCD) patients are more likely to develop worse COVID-19 outcomes.

Obese patients are found to be as much as seven times higher than other patients to develop severe COVID-19 outcomes.

Smokers have also been found to be 1.5 times more likely to have severe complications from COVID-19, Tedros added.

He said that he met with foreign minister of G20 countires and discussed the safe reopening of borders and economies, "soething WHO supports," he added.

As of Friday, WHO reported over 26 million COVID-19 cases worldwide.

For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/7315231/canada-coronavirus-update-september-3/

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