Preserved C-reactive protein responses to blood stream infections following tocilizumab treatment for COVID-19

C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are elevated following bacterial infections but may be attenuated by the IL-6-receptor antagonist tocilizumab. In hospitalised COVID-19 patients, tocilizumab induced a transient (<21 day) fall in CRP but retained CRP responses to nosocomial blood stream infections, and therefore its utility in guiding antibiotic prescribing.