COVID-19: A review of therapeutics under investigation.

The COVID-19 outbreak has disrupted global health care networks and caused thousands of deaths and an international economic downturn. Multiple drugs are being used on patients with COVID-19 based on theoretical and in vitro therapeutic targets. Several of these therapies have been studied, but many have limited evidence behind their use, and clinical trials to evaluate their efficacy are either ongoing or have not yet begun. This review summarizes the existing evidence for medications currently under investigation for treatment of COVID-19, including remdesivir, chloroquine/hydroxychlorquine, convalescent plasma, lopinavir/ritonavir, IL-6 inhibitors, corticosteroids, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.

An adapted emergency department triage algorithm for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with its public health implications, high case fatality rate, and strain on hospital resources, will continue to challenge clinicians and researchers alike for months to come. Accurate triage of patients during the pandemic will assign patients to the appropriate level of care, provide the best care for the maximum number of patients, rationally limit personal protective equipment (PPE) usage, and mitigate nosocomial exposures. The authors describe an adapted COVID-19 pandemic triage algorithm for emergency departments (EDs) guided by the best available evidence and responses to prior pandemics, with recommendations for clinician PPE use for each level of encounter in the setting of an ongoing PPE shortage. Our algorithm adheres to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and supports discharge of patients with mild symptoms coupled with explicit and strict return precautions and infection control education.