Infections can be asymptomatic or mild disease or severe. People with COVID-19 may need different treatment options, including antiviral medicines, oxygen therapy, anticoagulation and/or immunomodulatory treatment at different stages of the disease.
The 12 points focus on immunomodulatory therapy, and how we might use existing medicines from the field of rheumatology to treat severe COVID-19. These give specific advice about which treatments to use at what stages of COVID-19.
Four of the points are unchanged from the 2020 version, four are modified, and four are new. Among immunomodulatory drugs useful for treating severe COVID-19, WHO has provided a strong recommendation for using dexamethasone and anti-IL-6 receptors antibodies.
EULAR will continue to update the advice to enhance knowledge and evidence about the disease, its treatment, and the impact of COVID-19 vaccines.
These findings do not apply to people living with RMDs who are taking immunomodulatory treatments for their rheumatic disease. Separate guidelines are available for managing patients with RMDs in the view of the pandemic.
Source: Medindia
