14. CASE MANAGEMENT
Case management should be performed in accordance with available national/supranational guidance for
primary care and community settings.
14.1 Clinical management of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) when
COVID-19 is suspected
WHO has issued guidance intended for clinicians involved in the clinical management and care of adult,
pregnant and paediatric patients with or at risk of SARI when infection with the COVID-19 virus is suspected.45
It is not meant to replace clinical judgement or specialist consultation but rather to strengthen clinical
management of these patients and to provide up-to-date guidance. Best practices for IPC, triage and
optimized supportive care are included.
The WHO guidance is organized in the following sections:
1. Background
2. Screening and triage: early recognition of patients with SARI associated with COVID-19
3. Immediate implementation of appropriate IPC measures
4. Collection of specimens for laboratory diagnosis
5. Management of mild COVID-19: symptomatic treatment and monitoring
6. Management of severe COVID-19: oxygen therapy and monitoring
7. Management of severe COVID-19: treatment of coinfections
8. Management of critical COVID-19: acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
9. Management of critical illness and COVID-19: prevention of complications
10. Management of critical illness and COVID-19: septic shock
11. Adjunctive therapies for COVID-19: corticosteroids
12. Caring for pregnant women with COVID-19
13. Caring for infants and mothers with COVID-19: IPC and breastfeeding
14. Care for older persons with COVID-19
15. Clinical research and specific anti-COVID-19 treatments.
45
Clinical management of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) when COVID-19 disease is suspected: interim guidance (13 March 2020). Geneva: World Health Organization;
2020 (https://www.who.int/publications-detail/clinical-management-of-severe-acute-respiratory-infection-when-novel-coronavirus-(ncov)-infection-is-suspected).
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