Guideline

Therapeutics and COVID-19: living guideline, 22 April 2022.

Year of Publication

2022

Issuing Institution

World Health Organization

Links

WHO IRIS

Recommendations

17 included recommendations

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends against administering hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for treatment of patients with COVID-19. This recommendation applies to patients with any disease severity and any duration of symptoms.

Status

Maintained

Recommended against

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends against administering lopinavir/ritonavir for treatment of COVID-19. This recommendation applies to patients with any disease severity and any duration of symptoms.

Status

Maintained

Recommended against

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low

We suggest treatment with remdesivir for patients with non-severe COVID-19 at highest risk of hospitalization

Status

Maintained

Recommended against

Conditional

Certainty of evidence

Very low

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends systemic corticosteroids for patients with severe and critical COVID-19 infection.

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low

The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests not to use corticosteroids for patients with non-severe COVID-19 infection.

Status

Maintained

Recommended against

Conditional

Certainty of evidence

Low

For patients with non-severe COVID-19 (who do not meet criteria for severe or critical infection). The WHO recommends against administering convalescent plasma for treatment of COVID-19

Status

Maintained

Recommended against

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

For patients with severe or critical COVID-19. The WHO recommends not to use convalescent plasma for treatment of COVID-19, except in the context of a clinical trial

Status

Maintained

Recommended against

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low

For patients with non-severe COVID-19 (who do not meet criteria for severe or critical infection). The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggest treatment with casirivimab-imdevimab, conditional to those at highest risk of hospitalization, and where viral genotyping can confirm a susceptible SARS-CoV-2 variant (i.e. excluding Omicron BA1)

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Conditional

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

For patients with severe or critical COVID-19. The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggest treatment with casirivimab-imdevimab, conditional to those with seronegative status, and where viral genotyping can confirm a susceptible SARS-CoV-2 variant (i.e. excluding omicron BA1)

Status

Retired

Recommended in favor

Conditional

Certainty of evidence

Low

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends treatment with IL-6 receptor blockers (tocilizumab or sarilumab) for patients with severe or critical COVID-19 infection.

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

We recommend not to use ivermectin in patients with COVID-19 except in the context of a clinical trial

Status

Maintained

Recommended against

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Very low

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommend treatment with baricitinib for patients with severe or critical COVID-19

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggest not to use ruxolitinib or tofacitinib for patients with severe or critical COVID-19

Status

Maintained

Recommended against

Conditional

Certainty of evidence

Very low

The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggest treatment with sotrovimab, conditional to those at highest risk of hospitalization, for patients with non-severe COVID-19

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Conditional

For patients with non-severe COVID-19 (excluding pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children) . We suggest treatment with molnupiravir, conditional to those at highest risk of hospitalization

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Conditional

We recommend treatment with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir for patients with non-severe COVID-19 at highest risk of hospitalization

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

We suggest not to use treatment with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir for patients with non-severe COVID-19 at low risk of hospitalization

Status

Maintained

Recommended against

Conditional