we will exclude patients who fulfil any of the following criteria: * use of systemic corticosteroids for other indications than covid-19 in doses higher than 6 mg dexamethasone equivalents * use of systemic corticosteroids for covid-19 for 5 days consecutive days or more * invasive fungal infection * active tuberculosis * fertile woman (\<60 years of age) with positive urine human gonadotropin (hcg) or plasma-hcg * known hypersensitivity to dexamethasone * previously randomised into the covid steroid 2 trial * informed consent not obtainable

we will exclude patients who fulfil any of the following criteria: * use of systemic corticosteroids for other indications than covid-19 in doses higher than 6 mg dexamethasone equivalents * use of systemic corticosteroids for covid-19 for 5 days consecutive days or more * invasive fungal infection * active tuberculosis * fertile woman (\<60 years of age) with positive urine human gonadotropin (hcg) or plasma-hcg * known hypersensitivity to dexamethasone * previously randomised into the covid steroid 2 trial * informed consent not obtainable

we will exclude patients who fulfil any of the following criteria: - use of systemic corticosteroids for other indications than covid-19 in doses higher than 6 mg dexamethasone equivalents - use of systemic corticosteroids for covid-19 for 5 days consecutive days or more - invasive fungal infection - active tuberculosis - fertile woman (<60 years of age) with positive urine human gonadotropin (hcg) or plasma-hcg - known hypersensitivity to dexamethasone - previously randomised into the covid steroid 2 trial - informed consent not obtainable

we will exclude patients who fulfil any of the following criteria: - use of systemic corticosteroids for other indications than covid-19 in doses higher than 6 mg dexamethasone equivalents - use of systemic corticosteroids for covid-19 for 5 days consecutive days or more - invasive fungal infection - active tuberculosis - fertile woman (<60 years of age) with positive urine human gonadotropin (hcg) or plasma-hcg - known hypersensitivity to dexamethasone - previously randomised into the covid steroid 2 trial - informed consent not obtainable