HTB

Updated US guidelines for treating COVID-19 (December 2020)

Simon Collins, HIV i-Base

The volume of rapidly expanding research on COVID-19 has meant that the main US treatment guidelines are often updated several times a month.

It is important to not only note four updates in December highlighted below but to regularly check for future updates.

Clinical spectrum of symptoms

The guidelines expanded the description and discussion of persistent symptoms or organ dysfunction following acute COVID-19. It also noted that more research was needed to understand post-infection complications.

PrEP

Two studies were added showing that hydroxychloroquine shows no benefit in preventing COVID-19 in healthworkers.

Antithrombotic treatment

The review of data on use of antithrombotic therapy were been updated to include recommendations during pregnancy.

Baricitinib

Guidelines about recent FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the use of baricitinib, but based on limited data to recommend for or against its use with remdesivir, when corticosteroids can be used.

Also on the importance of clinical trials for informing use.

Guidelines on clinical management

This section had been expanded to include a new summary and a more detailed discussion of the processes that are thought to drive the pathogenesis of COVID-19.

Casirivimab plus imdevimab (REGN-COV2)

Guidelines about recent FDA EUA for the monoclonal antibody combination of casirivimab plus imdevimab for the non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19 who are at high risk for progressing to severe disease and/or hospitalisation.

References

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Treatment Guidelines (17 December 2020).
https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov     https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/whats-new

This report was first posted on 5 January 2021.

 

Links to other websites are current at date of posting but not maintained.