Browsing by Author "Sibani, Marcella"

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ESCMID COVID-19 Living Guidelines: Drug Treatment And Clinical Management
(2022) Bartoletti, Michele; Azap, Ozlem; Barac, Aleksandra; Bussini, Linda; Ergonul, Onder; Krause, Robert; Ramon Pano-Pardo, Jose; Power, Nicholas R.; Sibani, Marcella; Szabo, Balint Gergely; Tsiodras, Sotirios; Verweij, Paul E.; Zollner-Schwetz, Ines; Rodriguez-Bano, Jesus; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3171-8926; 34823008; AAK-4089-2021
Scope: In January 2021, the ESCMID Executive Committee decided to launch a new initiative to develop ESCMID guidelines on several COVID-19-related issues, including treatment of COVID-19. Methods: An ESCMID COVID-19 guidelines task force was established by the ESCMID Executive Committee. A small group was established, half appointed by the chair, and the remaining selected with an open call. Each panel met virtually once a week. For all decisions, a simple majority vote was used. A long list of clinical questions using the PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcome) format was developed at the beginning of the process. For each PICO, two panel members performed a literature search with a third panellist involved in case of inconsistent results. Voting was based on the GRADE approach. Questions addressed by the guideline and recommendations: A synthesis of the available evidence and recommendations is provided for each of the 15 PICOs, which cover use of hydroxychloroquine, bamlanivimab alone or in combination with etesevimab, casirivimab combined with imdevimab, ivermectin, azithromycin and empirical antibiotics, colchicine, corticosteroids, convalescent plasma, favipiravir, remdesivir, tocilizumab and interferon beta-1a, as well as the utility of antifungal prophylaxis and enoxaparin. In general, the panel recommended against the use of hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, azithromycin, colchicine and interferon beta-1a. Conditional recommendations were given for the use of monoclonal antibodies in high-risk outpatients with mild-moderate COVID-19, and remdesivir. There was insufficient evidence to make a recommendation for use of favipiravir and antifungal prophylaxis, and it was recommended that antibiotics should not be routinely prescribed in patients with COVID-19 unless bacterial coinfection or secondary infection is suspected or confirmed. Tocilizumab and corticosteroids were recommended for treatment of severe COVID-19 but not in outpatients with non-severe COVID-19. Scope: The aim of the present guidance is to provide evidence-based recommendations for management of adults with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). More specifically, the goal is to aid clinicians managing patients with COVID-19 at various levels of severity including outpatients, hospitalized patients, and those admitted to intensive care unit. Considering the composition of the panel, mostly clinical microbiologists or infectious disease specialists with no pulmonology or intensive care background, we focus only on pharmacological treatment and do not give recommendations on oxygen supplement/support. Similarly, as no paediatricians were included in the panel; the recommendations are only for adult patients with COVID-19. Considering the current literature, no guidance was given for special populations such as the immunocompromised. (C) 2021 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Guidelines for Coronavirus Disease 2019: An Update on Treatment of Patients with Mild/Moderate Disease
(2022) Bartoletti, Michele; Azap, Ozlem; Barac, Aleksandra; Bussini, Linda; Ergonul, Onder; Krause, Robert; Martin-Quiros, Alejandro; Pano-Pardo, Jose Ramon; Power, Nicholas; Sibani, Marcella; Szabo, Balint Gergely; Tsiodras, Sotirios; Zollner-Schwetz, Ines; Rodriguez-Bano, Jesus; 36028088
Scope: Despite the large availability of vaccines, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, continues to be a major threat for health-care providers and fragile people. A number of options are now available for outpatients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 at the risk of disease progression for the prevention of deaths or hospitalization. Methods: A European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases COVID-19 guidelines task force was established by the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Executive Committee. A small group was established, half appointed by the chair and the remaining selected based on an open call. Each panel met virtually once a week. For all decisions, a simple majority vote was used. A long list of clinical questions using the population, intervention, comparison, outcome format was developed at the beginning of the process. For each population, intervention, comparison, outcome, two panel members performed a literature search, with a third panelist involved in case of inconsistent results. Voting was based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Recommendations: In this update, we focus on anti-viral agents, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and other treatment options proposed for patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 who are at the risk of hospitalization or death. Although the use of anti-virals is recommended, especially nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and remdesivir or, alternatively, molnupirarvir, the administration of mAbs against the spike protein strictly depends on circulating variants or the ability to test timely for variants and sub-variants. At the time of writing (AprileJune 2022), the only active mAb was tixagevimab/cilgavimab given the predominance of the Omicron BA.2, BA.3, BA.4 and BA.5 sub-lineages in Europe. However, considering that the epidemiological scenario is extremely dynamic, constant monitoring of variants of concern is mandatory. Michele Bartoletti, Clin Microbiol Infect 2022;28:1578
Inappropriate use of ivermectin during the COVID-19 pandemic: primum non nocere!
(2022) Barac, Aleksandra; Bartoletti, Michele; Azap, Ozlem; Bussini, Linda; Ergonul, Onder; Krause, Robert; Ramon Pano-Pardo, Jose; Power, Nicholas R.; Rodriguez-Bano, Jesus; Sibani, Marcella; Szabo, Balint Gergely; Tsiodras, Sotirios; Verweij, Paul E.; Martin Quiros, Alejandro; Zollner-Schwetz, Ines; 35337977