CRP and COVID-19: In addition, they reduce mortality and the need for invasive mechanical ventilation or oxygen alone (possibly because they promote erythroid precursors maturation into red blood cells [70]), but only in severe COVID-19 patients (71, 72), whereas treatment with dexamethasone does not show beneficial effects in patients not requiring respiratory support (72) or even an increased risk of mortality or mechanical ventilation need in patients with low levels of initial C-reactive protein (71).