European Respiratory Review (Oct 2020)

Updated guidance on the management of COVID-19: from an American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society coordinated International Task Force (29 July 2020)

  • Chunxue Bai,
  • Sanjay H. Chotirmall,
  • Jordi Rello,
  • George A. Alba,
  • Leo C. Ginns,
  • Jerry A. Krishnan,
  • Robert Rogers,
  • Elisabeth Bendstrup,
  • Pierre-Regis Burgel,
  • James D. Chalmers,
  • Abigail Chua,
  • Kristina A. Crothers,
  • Abhijit Duggal,
  • Yeon Wook Kim,
  • John G. Laffey,
  • Carlos M. Luna,
  • Michael S. Niederman,
  • Ganesh Raghu,
  • Julio A. Ramirez,
  • Jordi Riera,
  • Oriol Roca,
  • Maximiliano Tamae-Kakazu,
  • Antoni Torres,
  • Richard R. Watkins,
  • Miriam Barrecheguren,
  • Mirko Belliato,
  • Hassan A. Chami,
  • Rongchang Chen,
  • Gustavo A. Cortes-Puentes,
  • Charles Delacruz,
  • Margaret M. Hayes,
  • Leo M.A. Heunks,
  • Steven R. Holets,
  • Catherine L. Hough,
  • Sugeet Jagpal,
  • Kyeongman Jeon,
  • Takeshi Johkoh,
  • May M. Lee,
  • Janice Liebler,
  • Gerry N. McElvaney,
  • Ari Moskowitz,
  • Richard A. Oeckler,
  • Iñigo Ojanguren,
  • Anthony O'Regan,
  • Mathias W. Pletz,
  • Chin Kook Rhee,
  • Marcus J. Schultz,
  • Enrico Storti,
  • Charlie Strange,
  • Carey C. Thomson,
  • Francesca J. Torriani,
  • Xun Wang,
  • Wim Wuyts,
  • Tao Xu,
  • Dawei Yang,
  • Ziqiang Zhang,
  • Kevin C. Wilson

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1183/16000617.0287-2020
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 29, no. 157

Abstract

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Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2. Consensus suggestions can standardise care, thereby improving outcomes and facilitating future research. Methods An International Task Force was composed and agreement regarding courses of action was measured using the Convergence of Opinion on Recommendations and Evidence (CORE) process. 70% agreement was necessary to make a consensus suggestion. Results The Task Force made consensus suggestions to treat patients with acute COVID-19 pneumonia with remdesivir and dexamethasone but suggested against hydroxychloroquine except in the context of a clinical trial; these are revisions of prior suggestions resulting from the interim publication of several randomised trials. It also suggested that COVID-19 patients with a venous thromboembolic event be treated with therapeutic anticoagulant therapy for 3 months. The Task Force was unable to reach sufficient agreement to yield consensus suggestions for the post-hospital care of COVID-19 survivors. The Task Force fell one vote shy of suggesting routine screening for depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Conclusions The Task Force addressed questions related to pharmacotherapy in patients with COVID-19 and the post-hospital care of survivors, yielding several consensus suggestions. Management options for which there is insufficient agreement to formulate a suggestion represent research priorities.