The National Institutes of Health has released comprehensive new COVID-19 treatment guidelines, including evidence-based direction on drug therapies.
The guideline web page is a “living document,” which will change as new information and evidence emerges, the agency announced Tuesday. The recommendations were developed by a panel of physician experts and cover the following:
- Therapies currently in use for COVID-19, namely antivirals and host modifiers and immune-based therapies. Notably, the panel recommends against combined treatment with hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin due to its potential effect on the heart.
- Evaluating and stratifying patients based on their infection risk and illness severity.
- Best practices for managing different stages of infection.
- The use of related medications. These include statins, corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as ACE inhibitors and ARBs.
- Considerations for clinicians caring for the most critically ill hospitalized patients.
