Role of adjunctive treatment strategies in COVID-19 and a review of international and national clinical guidelines

Abstract

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a global struggle to cope with the sheer numbers of infected persons, many of whom require intensive care support or eventually succumb to the illness. The outbreak is managed by a combination of disease containment via public health measures and supportive care for those who are affected. To date, there is no specific anti-COVID-19 treatment. However, the urgency to identify treatments that could turn the tide has led to the emergence of several investigational drugs as potential candidates to improve outcome, especially in the severe to critically ill. While many of these adjunctive drugs are being investigated in clinical trials, professional bodies have attempted to clarify the setting where the use of these drugs may be considered as off-label or compassionate use. This review summarizes the clinical evidence of investigational adjunctive treatments used in COVID-19 patients as well as the recommendations of their use from guidelines issued by international and national organizations in healthcare.

Keywords: Adjunctive treatment; COVID-19; Chloroquine; Convalescent plasma; Corticosteroids; Lopinavir-ritonavir; Remdesivir; Umifenovir.

Fig. 1

Summary of current adjunctive therapeutic agents used in clinical management of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). HCQ: Hydroxychloroquine; LPV/r: Lopinavir/ritonavir.