Clinical management of severe acute respiratory infection when novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection is suspected

14.05.2020

 
 
This document is intended for clinicians taking care of hospitalised adult and paediatric patients with severe acute respiratory
infection (SARI) when a nCoV infection is suspected. It is not meant to replace clinical judgment or specialist consultation but
rather to strengthen clinical management of these patients and provide to up-to-date guidance. Best practices for SARI including
IPC and optimized supportive care for severely ill patients are essential.
This document is organized into the following sections:
1. Triage: recognize and sort patients with SARI
2. Immediate implementation of appropriate infection prevention and control (IPC) measures
3. Early supportive therapy and monitoring
4. Collection of specimens for laboratory diagnosis
5. Management of hypoxemic respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
6. Management of septic shock
7. Prevention of complications
8. Specific anti-nCoV treatments
9. Special considerations for pregnant patients