Coronavirus 2019 disease: Are corticosteroids the key treatment? A retrospective case-control study in Brazil.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is the putative cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a serious disease that has severely impacted the world. Although vaccines have been developed, it will take time to inoculate the global population. Current guidelines have focused on the treatment of severe cases in hospital settings; however, a void has been created regarding appropriate measures for those in the initial stage of COVID-19 and those experiencing moderate disease severity progressing to desaturation. We assessed clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19 with pneumonia at initial presentation treated with corticosteroids. Methods: Data of 177 consecutive high-risk patients with COVID-19, monitored by telemedicine, were collected and analyzed. Of those, 68 patients were in the initial inflammatory phase of the disease without desaturation and received corticosteroids. The outcomes were evaluated after a follow up of 14 days. Four patients were immediately referred to the hospital because they had explicit desaturation at presentation. Results: After 14 days, all patients in the inflammatory phase at presentation who were treated with corticosteroids before desaturation were alive and without complications. However, of the four patients with desaturation, one died at the hospital. Conclusion: In this study, the use of corticosteroids during the initial pulmonary phase of COVID-19 before desaturation, in addition to daily monitoring of patients, prevented disease progression, decreased the risk of complications and incidence of hospitalization and death. However, additional studies with larger number of patients are needed to confirm these findings.

COVID-19 Treatment: Drug Safety Prior to Conception and During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding.

In December 2019, a new viral respiratory infection known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first diagnosed in the city of Wuhan, China. COVID-19 quickly spread across the world, leading the World Health Organization to declare it a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The disease is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a similar virus to those involved in other epidemics such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Epidemiological studies have shown that COVID-19 frequently affects young adults of reproductive age and that the elderly and patients with chronic disease have high mortality rates. Little is known about the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy and breastfeeding. Most COVID-19 cases present with mild flu-like symptoms and only require treatment with symptomatic relief medications, whereas other cases with COVID-19 require treatment in an intensive care unit. There is currently no specific effective treatment for COVID-19. A large number of drugs are being used to fight infection by SARS-CoV-2. Experience with this therapeutic arsenal has been gained over the years in the treatment of other viral, autoimmune, parasitic, and bacterial diseases. Importantly, the search for an effective treatment for COVID-19 cannot expose pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2 to the potential teratogenic risks of these drugs. Therefore, it is necessary to determine and understand the safety of anti-COVID-19 therapies prior to conception and during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Covid-19 and Pregnancy: An Overview

Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus infection (COVID-19) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in January 2020, there have been many concerns about pregnant women and the possible effects of this emergency with catastrophic outcomes inmany countries. Information on COVID-19 and pregnancy are scarce and spread throughout a fewcase series, with no more than 50 cases in total. The present review provides a brief analysis of COVID-19, pregnancy in the COVID-19 era, and the effects of COVID-19 on pregnancy. Resumo Desde que a Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) declarou a infecção por coronavírus (COVID-19) uma emergência de saúde pública de interesse internacional emjaneiro de 2020, houve muitas preocupações sobre mulheres grávidas e os possíveis efeitos dessa emergência com resultados catastróficos em muitos países. As informações sobre COVID-19 e gravidez são escassas e se espalham por algumas séries de casos, com não mais do que 50 casos no total. A presente revisão fornece uma breve análise da COVID- 19, gravidez na era COVID-19 e os efeitos da COVID-19 na gravidez.

Covid-19 and Pregnancy: An Overview.

Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus infection (COVID-19) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in January 2020, there have been many concerns about pregnant women and the possible effects of this emergency with catastrophic outcomes in many countries. Information on COVID-19 and pregnancy are scarce and spread throughout a few case series, with no more than 50 cases in total. The present review provides a brief analysis of COVID-19, pregnancy in the COVID-19 era, and the effects of COVID-19 on pregnancy.

Desde que a Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) declarou a infecção por coronavírus (COVID-19) uma emergência de saúde pública de interesse internacional em janeiro de 2020, houve muitas preocupações sobre mulheres grávidas e os possíveis efeitos dessa emergência com resultados catastróficos em muitos países. As informações sobre COVID-19 e gravidez são escassas e se espalham por algumas séries de casos, com não mais do que 50 casos no total. A presente revisão fornece uma breve análise da COVID-19, gravidez na era COVID-19 e os efeitos da COVID-19 na gravidez.