Clinical management of COVID-19 patients – an update

M, MS Mølhave; J, PhD Agergaard; C, Assoc.Prof. PhD Wejse

SARS-CoV-2 virus may cause COVID-19 disease, which causes mild-to-moderate disease in 80% of laboratory-confirmed cases have and could be community-managed. A considerable age-dependent mortality is seen among elderly and other at-risk populations but among young and healthy individuals it is < 0.5%. Long term health issues has been reported following severe COVID-19 requiring hospitalization as well as after cases of mild COVID-19 without hospitalization. Upon receiving COVID-19 suspected patients at hospitals, patients should be isolated and PPE should be worn by all health staff when in contact with the patients. Additionally, patients are tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by PCR, and blood samples are drawn. Imaging is not pivotal for the diagnosis, but chest X-ray is a relevant examination for all and is used to determine severity and treatment need Abnormal findings on CT scans are found in most patients, most frequently peripheral ground-glass opacity and bilateral patchy shadowing are present. Patients are, according to their needs and risks, treated with oxygen therapy, anticoagulation therapy, steroids, antivirals, or even immunosuppressive drugs. Convalescent plasma therapy and monoclonal antibodies have a limited role in the treatment, mostly in severely immunocompromised patients.