Ongoing Living Update of COVID-19 Therapeutic Options: Summary of Evidence. Rapid Review, 4 May 2022

ABSTRACT

Background: The urgent need for evidence on measures to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic had led to a rapid escalation in numbers of studies testing potential therapeutic options. The vast amount of data generated by these studies must be interpreted quickly so that physicians have the information to make optimal treatment decisions and manufacturers can scale-up production and bolster supply chains. Moreover, obtaining a quick answer to the question of whether or not a particular intervention is effective can help investigators involved in the many ongoing clinical trials to change focus and pivot to more promising alternatives. It is crucial for healthcare workers to have access to the most up-to-date research evidence to inform their treatment decisions. To address this evidence gap, we compiled the following database of evidence on potential therapeutic options for COVID-19. We hope this information will help investigators, policy makers, and prescribers navigate the flood of relevant data to ensure that management of COVID19, at both individual and population levels, is based on the best available knowledge. We will endeavor to continually update this resource as more research is released into the public space. Summary of evidence Tables 1 and 2, which divide the total group of identified studies into randomized (Table 1) and non-randomized (Table 2) designs, indicate the primary outcome measures used for each investigation and the level of certainty. Table 3 summarizes the status of evidence for the 193 potential therapeutic options for COVID-19 for which studies were identified through our systematic review.