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The WHO recommends that patients with COVID-19 – both confirmed and suspected – have access to follow-up care if they experience persistent, new or changing symptoms.
This is one of the recommendations made by the WHO in the revised clinical management guidelines.
Evidence has been gathered on the post-COVID condition, known as “ long COVID, ” where people who have recovered from COVID-19 continue to have long-term issues like extreme fatigue, persistent cough, and intolerance to exercise.
Understanding this condition is one of WHO’s priority areas of work. In February 2021, WHO will hold a series of consultations to reach consensus on a description of the condition and its subtypes, and case definitions. This scientific understanding will inform the name of the condition. Consultations will include a wide range of stakeholders, including patient groups.
For COVID-19 patients at home, the WHO suggests the use of pulse oximetry to measure oxygen levels in the blood. This needs to be coordinated with other aspects of home care, such as patient and caregiver education and regular patient follow-up.
For hospitalized patients, WHO suggests the use of low-dose anticoagulants to prevent blood clots from forming in the blood vessels (thrombosis).
For hospital patients who are taking supplemental oxygen (including high flow nasal oxygen) or non-invasive ventilation, the WHO suggests placing patients on their stomachs to increase oxygen flow (lying awake position ).
The guidelines also include recommendations on the use of care packages to systematize the delivery of care to COVID-19 patients, as well as a recommendation to promote clinical judgment over models in care decision-making. of the patient.
The recommendations were made by an independent expert group, the Guideline Development Group, based on detailed rapid reviews of all available data.
The guidelines are a living document, updated regularly as more data becomes available.
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