Management of patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19
Last updated: 30 January 2025 at 14:51
Current therapeutic approaches for COVID-19 disease
Therapeutic options in COVID-19 disease are divided into treatments for severe disease (COVID-19 pneumonia) and those that are given to prevent deterioration in mild or moderate disease.
- The downloadable COVID-19 quick guide collates links to the many detailed UHB policies on treatment of patients with COVID-19 disease
- The COVID-19 pneumonia therapeutics checklist, also available as a download, is useful when managing more severe COVID-19
- COVID-19 patients with mild/moderate illness who are at high risk of developing viral pneumonia may be eligible for additional treatments either in hospital or in the community
Outlines of different approaches
COVID pneumonia (group 1)
- Defined as requiring new oxygen supplementation
- All patients considered for treatment
- Treatment aim is to reduce severity of established pneumonitis, and prevent ITU admissions and death
- See downloadable UHB COVID-19 therapeutics checklist for treatment guidance under "Downloads"
Early-onset symptomatic mild/moderate COVID
- Mild/moderate illness - viral-type symptoms without new oxygen supplementation
- Treatment targeted at patients at high risk of deterioration
- Treatment aim is preventing development of pneumonia and hospitalisation
- Treatment approaches differ for hospitalised and community patients
- Community patients are treated via the patient's local COVID Medicines Delivery Unit
- Neutralising monoclonal antibodies and antivirals for non-hospitalised patients
- Community Delivery Medicine Unit
- If there is clinical deterioration, treat as COVID pneumonia