Care of the Seriously Ill Patient with SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

In late 2019, SARS-CoV-2 caused the greatest global health crisis in a century, impacting all aspects of society. As the COVID-19 pandemic evolved throughout 2020 and 2021, multiple variants emerged, contributing to multiple surges in cases of COVID-19 worldwide. In 2021, highly effective vaccines became available, although the pandemic continues into 2022. There has been tremendous expansion of basic, translational, and clinical knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 since the pandemic's onset. Treatment options have been rapidly explored, attempting to repurpose preexisting medications in tandem with development and evaluation of novel agents. Care of the seriously ill patient is examined.

Keywords: COVID-19; Critical care; Treatment.

Fig. 1

COVID-19 therapies for severely ill patients. GM-CSF, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor; IgG, immunoglobulin G; TNF, tumor necrosis factor.