Coronavirus (COVID-19): clinical guidance

Documents

• Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for use of FIT testing for patients with colorectal symptoms
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): clinical guidance on the use of Buvidal in prisons
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): clinical guidelines for managing systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) and radiotherapy (RT) for COVID-19 positive cancer patients

Further information

Note that this page is no longer being updated for Covid therapeutic alerts. From December 2022 you will find the most up to date information on the SHOW site. Search using the keywords: Covid therapeutic alert.

• Covid therapeutic alert - interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitors (tocilizumab (RoActemra) or sarilumab (Kevzara)) to adult patients hospitalised due to COVID-19: alert (PDF) and database entry
• Covid therapeutic alert – recommendation for the immediate commencement of the palivizumab passive immunisation programme: alert (PDF) and database entry
• Covid therapeutic alert – palivizumab passive immunisation against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in at risk pre-term infants: alert (PDF) and database entry
• Covid therapeutic alert – antivirals and neutralising monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of Covid-19 in non-hospitalised patients: alert (PDF) and database entry
• Covid therapeutic alert – antivirals and neutralising monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of Covid-19 in hospitalised patients: alert (PDF) and database entry
• update to interim clinical commissioning policy on the use of neutralising monoclonal antibody and intravenous antiviral treatments for non-hospitalised patient with Covid infection: alert (PDF) and database entry
• neutralising monoclonal antibody and intravenous antiviral treatments for patients in hospital with covid infection: alert (PDF) and database entry
• interim clinical commissioning policy regarding the use of neutralising monoclonal antibodies or antivirals for patients with COVID-19 (16 December 2021):
• non-hospitalised patients
• hospitalised patients
• COVID-19 Therapeutic alert: Remdesivir for patients hospitalised with covid update (15 June 2021) - letter and database entry
• advice from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) about the Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine thromboembolic events: Letter to healthcare professionals and database entry
• guidance for health professionals and health protection teams can also be found at Health Protection Scotland
• rapid policy statement – Paliviuzumab for respiratory synctical virus
• update to the interim clinical commissioning policy – Remdesivir
• COVID-19 Therapeutic alert: Letter re interim position statement about the use of Tocilizumab for adult patients admitted to ICU with COVID-19 Pneumonia
• interim position statement: Tocilizumab for patients admitted to ICU with COVID-19 pneumonia (adults)
• Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine – Doses per Vial (circular)
• Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine – Doses per Vial (database)
• information about the use of azithromycin in the management of COVID-19 (circular)
• information about the use of azithromycin in the management of COVID-19 (database)
• information about therapeutic anticoagulation (Heparin) in the management of severe COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 Positive) patients (circular)
• information about therapeutic anticoagulation (Heparin) in the management of severe COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 Positive) patients (database)
• COVID-19 Therapeutic Alert – Interleukin-6 inhibitors (Tocilizumab or Sarilumab) for adult patients admitted to ICU with COVID-19 pnuemonia (letter)
• COVID-19 Therapeutic Alert – Interleukin-6 inhibitors (Tocilizumab or Sarilumab) for adult patients admitted to ICU with COVID-19 pnuemonia (database entry)
• AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine - Doses per vial clarification on update to MHRA Information to Healthcare Professionals (letter)
• AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine - Doses per vial clarification on update to MHRA Information to Healthcare Professionals (database)
• results from the PRINCIPLE and RECOVERY trials have demonstrated that antimicrobials (azithromycin and doxycycline) are not beneficial in the management of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) positive patients (circular)
• results from the PRINCIPLE and RECOVERY trials have demonstrated that antimicrobials (azithromycin and doxycycline) are not beneficial in the management of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) positive patients (database)
• UK Interim Clinical Commissioning Policies have now been published, recommending that two Interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitors – tocilizumab and sarilumab - are made available as a treatment option for critically ill adult patients (aged 18 years and over) hospitalised with COVID-19 in accordance with the agreed criteria (alert)
• UK Interim Clinical Commissioning Policies have now been published, recommending that two Interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitors – tocilizumab and sarilumab - are made available as a treatment option for critically ill adult patients (aged 18 years and over) hospitalised with COVID-19 in accordance with the agreed criteria (database)
• recommendation that colchicine should not be used in the management of COVID-19 positive patients other than in the context of a trial, or unless there is an additional licensed indication for its use (letter)
• recommendation that colchicine should not be used in the management of COVID-19 positive patients other than in the context of a trial, or unless there is an additional licensed indication for its use (database)
• COVID-19 therapeutic alert – interleukin-6 inhibitors (tocilizumab or sarilumab) for hospitalised patients with covid-19 pneumonia (adults) (letter)
• COVID-19 therapeutic alert – Interleukin-6 inhibitors (tocilizumab or sarilumab) for hospitalised patients with COVID-19 pneumonia (adults) (database)
• position statement on the use in primary care of in the treatment of inhaled Budesonide For Adults (50 Years And Over) with COVID-19 (letter)
• position statement on the use in primary care of in the treatment of inhaled Budesonide For Adults (50 Years And Over) with COVID-19 (database)
• updated UK rapid policy statement circular and database, which extends eligibility for palivizumab beyond the guidance issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), specifically in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has now been updated to accommodate the atypical current seasonal pattern of infection and increase the maximum number of doses from five to seven (July 2021) circular
• update to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) rapid guideline recommending the consideration of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), alongside optimised pharmacological and non-pharmacological management strategies (including body positioning), in patients hospitalised with COVID-19. Read the letter and database entry
• combined policy replacing previous separately published policies for sarilumab and tocilizumab respectively on 17 February 2021. A single UK Interim Clinical Commissioning Policy has now been published, recommending that equal consideration is given to two potential interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitor treatment options - tocilizumab or sarilumab - for adult patients (aged 18 years and older) hospitalised due to COVID-19 in accordance with the agreed criteria. Read the letter and database entry
• the recommendations contained in the UK-wide clinical commissioning published on 17 September 2021 have been revised to include the use of casirivimab and imdevimab in the treatment of COVID-19 in hospital patients to include the use of this intravenous combination in patients aged 12 years and over. Read the alert and database entry
• granting of a conditional marketing authorisation on 4 November 2021, by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for the first oral antiviral for COVID-19, molnupiravir (brand name: Lagevrio). Read the letter and database entry.
• advice to relevant healthcare professionals that inhaled budesonide should no longer be considered as a treatment for COVID-19 infection other than within the context of a clinical trial (letter)
• advice to relevant healthcare professionals that inhaled budesonide should no longer be considered as a treatment for COVID-19 infection other than within the context of a clinical trial (database entry)
• further information for healthcare professionals - targeted deployment of COVID-19 medicines for non-hospitalised patients (circular)
• further information for healthcare professionals - targeted deployment of COVID-19 medicines for non-hospitalised patients (database entry)
• clinical commissioning policy regarding the use of baracitinib for hospitalised patients with COVID-19 for dissemination to relevant healthcare professionals (alert)
• clinical commissioning policy regarding the use of baracitinib for hospitalised patients with COVID-19 for dissemination to relevant healthcare professionals (database entry)