Join us as we discuss the current state of pharamaceutical interventions in the treatment of Covid-19 with infectious disease pharmacist Athena Hobbs.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the early landscape of medications for Covid-19 including what the initial guidance was regarding medications such as hydroxychloroquine, NSAIDS, and ACE Inhibitors
2. Understand the role of Remdesivir and steroids and when to use based on the time period of the patient's illness
3. Learn about promising vaccine trials

Link to IDSA membership site: https://mymembership.force.com/MNMemApp_MembershipPage?theme=a0Xj00000083kL&_ga=2.217231955.499936465.1596479814-971428175.1596479814

code "ourtimeisnow"

Link to CME

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C55LKSY

None of the hosts or guests have financial interests to disclose.

CME is available for up to 3 years after the stated release date.

Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation is accredited by the Mississippi State Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians. BMHCC designates this enduring material for a maximum of .25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

It is the policy of Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation (BMHCC) to promote balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all educational activities; to require disclosure of relevant financial relationships from individuals engaged in content development or planning of a CME activity; to identify and resolve conflicts of interest related to those relationships; and to make disclosure information available to the audience prior to the CME activity. Presenters are required to disclose discussions of unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices during their presentations.

·        Link for WHO news release re: discontinuing hydroxychloroquine arm of the Solidarity Trial (July 4, 2020) https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/04-07-2020-who-discontinues-hydroxychloroquine-and-lopinavir-ritonavir-treatment-arms-for-covid-19

·        RCT showing no benefit for HCQ as post-exposure ppx for COVID-19 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2016638

·        RCT showing no benefit for HCQ for early treatment in adults with mild COVID-19 https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa1009/5872589

·        RCT showing no benefit for HCQ in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.15.20151852v1

·        RCT showing no benefit for HCQ in mild-moderate COVID-19 https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.10.20060558v2

·        WHO: no evidence that NSAIDS contribute to worse COVID-19 disease https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/the-use-of-non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory-drugs-(nsaids)-in-patients-with-covid-19

·        AHA/ACC/HFSA combined statement on use of ACE-I and ARBS for COVID-19 https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2020/03/17/08/59/hfsa-acc-aha-statement-addresses-concerns-re-using-raas-antagonists-in-covid-19

·        Publication in JAMA 6/2020-evaluation of 4480 pts with COVID-19 showed prior use of ACEI/ARBs was not significantly assoc with COVID19 diagnosis https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2767669

·        ACTT Trial for remdesivir-no mortality benefit-faster time to clinical improvement in patient who are receiving supplemental oxygen (not intubated) https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2007764

·        Recovery trial showing mortality benefit for using dexamethasone 6 mg Q24h for patients requiring oxygen (no benefit and trend towards worse mortality in patients not requiring oxygen) https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2021436

·        **UPDATE** Roche press release stating COVACTA study found no clinical benefit in patients receiving tocilizumab (Actemra) for COVID-10 (study not published yet-link to press release included) https://www.roche.com/investors/updates/inv-update-2020-07-29.htm

·        ***WHO warns overuse of antibiotics for COVID-19 will cause more deaths*** https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/01/who-warns-overuse-of-antibiotics-for-covid-19-will-cause-more-deaths#:~:text=WHO%20warns%20overuse%20of%20antibiotics%20for%20Covid%2D19%20will%20cause%20more%20deaths,-This%20article%20is&text=The%20increased%20use%20of%20antibiotics,Organization%20(WHO)%20has%20warned.

·        71% of patients with COVID received antibiotics, but bacterial co-infection only occurred in 15% https://www.clinicalmicrobiologyandinfection.com/article/S1198-743X(20)30423-7/fulltext

·        BMH-Memphis Procalcitonin pathway http://operational/sites/AntiMicroSteward/Shared%20Documents/Procalcitonin/PCT%20Algorithm%202.8.19.pdf

·        New York Times Vaccine Tracker https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html

·        WHO vaccine candidate review (updated 7/31/2020) https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/draft-landscape-of-covid-19-candidate-vaccines

·        2 hairdressers with COVID-no transmission with universal masking policy https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6928e2.htm

**UPDATE** wearing a mask decreases severity of illness if COVID19 develops https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-020-06067-8