The Chief Nursing Officer says health authorities are "cautiously pleased" with the results from an overseas trial of a cheap and widely-used steroid that researchers claim is the first drug to save the lives of people with COVID-19.
Alison McMillan said information about the United Kingdom trial was encouraging, especially for the drug's potential use on patients in hospital who need oxygen or ventilation.
"We are cautiously pleased to see this report," she said on Wednesday.
"But obviously these reports are currently media reports and so the [Australian Health Protection Principal Committee] have considered that today and it will be making a decision in relation to that study later today."
The results of the trial were announced on Tuesday but have not yet been peer-reviewed.
They showed dexamethasone, which is used to reduce inflammation in other diseases, reduced death rates in patients who were severely ill with the virus by about a third.
Ms McMillan said health authorities would need to see the published data before reaching any conclusion about whether it should be trialled in Australia.
"That does not in any way detract from the need for us to continue to prevent the spread across Australia … so that in fact one would never need a treatment," she said.
Ms McMillan also gave an update on the number of new virus cases confirmed in the last 24 hours.
Of the 23 new cases, one was in Queensland, one was in New South Wales and the remaining 21 were in Victoria — 15 of which were returned travellers in hotel quarantine.
"I think it is important to remember that we are seeing about 6,500 people, Australians, returning to our shores every week," Ms McMillan said.
"So whilst these numbers are a little more than we've seen in recent days, we are seeing people return from places where there is a very high prevalence of COVID-19."
The Chief Nursing Officer reiterated the advice of the Chief Medical Officer and others that, as coronavirus restrictions continue to ease, more clusters of cases were expected to pop up.
Ms McMillan also said there were still no firm dates on when a trans-Tasman travel bubble would begin.
"As yet, we are concentrating on the borders remaining closed and the rules are still there," she said.
