Therapy of patients with COVID-19: clinical studies and recommendations in different countries

Abstract

BACKGROUND. During 2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is at the focus of many scientific studies. National approaches to the management of conditions associated with the SARS-CoV-2 can differ significantly due to socio-economic characteristics, capabilities of the health care system in different regions of the world, inertion in making regulatory decisions, as well as the variability and limitations of evidence base regarding effectiveness of various therapeutic approaches. OBJECTIVE. To review guidelines and clinical experience in the management of patients with COVID-19 around the world. RESULTS. National guidelines for COVID-19 management can vary significantly in different regions of the world. The governments of each country, in cooperation with leading experts and taking into account global experience, choose and constantly adjust the best ways to overcome COVID-19 epidemic in local population. CONCLUSIONS. The choice of methods for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 is associated with the capabilities of the healthcare system, regional level of antibiotic resistance, current epidemiological conditions, socio-economic factors, etc. Over the past 5-6 months the epidemiological conditions in different regions of the world have varied significantly, which could create unequal conditions for conducting high-quality clinical trials with a large number of participants. Even within one country the conclusions and recommendations for the treatment of COVID-19 developed by different medical associations and expert groups may differ significantly. Expert organizations conduct an independent evaluation of emerging clinical experience in the treatment of COVID-19 and come to different conclusions. This phenomenon is quite normal and desirable to minimize systematic error in the context of rapidly updating clinical evidence.