Communique #43

WEEK IN REVIEW

Taskforce reaches consensus on first IPC recommendations
On Monday 03 May, the Taskforce provided the Infection Control Expert Group (ICEG) with the final draft of the IPC face mask and eye protection consensus recommendations. The recommendations were approved by all 32 Steering Committee member organisations and are now with ICEG for consideration.

Healthcare Worker Consultation forums commence
Last week, the Taskforce held two online forums to discuss the draft IPC P2/N95 respirators and surgical masks, and eye protection consensus recommendations with healthcare workers from diverse settings and disciplines. These forums have proved invaluable in providing feedback on the implementability of the draft recommendations, commentary on the practice points and new case study suggestions. We are grateful to all contributors for giving up their time to help shape these important recommendations.

Consumer Panel reviews ‘Long COVID’ flowchart
The Consumer Panel recently reviewed the Care of people who experience symptoms post acute COVID-19 flowchart. With several panel members with lived experience, it was an extremely rich and useful discussion and their feedback will be presented to the Primary and Chronic Care Panel this week.

The Panel also reviewed the preferences and values for the 42 ‘only in clinical trials’ disease-modifying treatment recommendations and made no changes to the 2020 Consumer Panel statement.

The Consumer Panel is co-convened with the Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF).

Updates to the Living Guidelines
Version 38.2 includes the identification of several new studies on disease-modifying treatments:

• Baricitinib – one new study comparing baricitinib with standard care (Marconi et al. medRxiv doi: 10.1101/2021.04.30.21255934).
• Bromhexine hydrochloride – one new study comparing bromhexine with standard care (Tolouian et al. J Investig Med doi: 10.1136/jim-2020-001747).
• Lenzilumab NEW – one new study comparing lenzilumab with placebo (Temesgen et al. medRxiv doi: 10.1101/2021.05.01.21256470).

These studies are currently under review and recommendations will be included in future versions of the guidelines.

QUICK STATISTICS

COVID-19 research pipeline

• 58,273 studies published or registered in Cochrane COVID-19 Study Register, 2,223 added this fortnight
• 2,910 randomised controlled trials registered (data from Covid-nma site), 64 added this fortnight
• 3,961 systematic reviews registered in PROSPERO, 125 added this fortnight
• 278 randomised controlled trials published (data from Covid-nma site), 24 added this fortnight

CLINICAL FLOWCHARTS

11 clinical flowcharts have been developed by the Taskforce to cover:

No changes to flowcharts this week.

EVIDENCE UNDER REVIEW

We are currently reviewing evidence to develop recommendations and flowcharts to guide practice in areas including:

•  Lenzilumab NEW
•  Baracticinib
•  Bromhexine hydrochloride
•  Corticosteroids
•  Ivermectin
•  Post-exposure hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis
•  Immunoglobulin plus methylprednisolone
•  Proxalutimide
•  Sofosbuvir-lepidasvir
•  Immunoglobulin plus methylprednisolone
•  Care of people with post acute COVID-19

NEWS & EVENTS

Murray PHN Webinar: Long COVID Symptoms – Management of long term effects

Taskforce Senior Evidence Officer and Primary and Chronic Care Panel Methods Chair, Dr Samantha Chakraborty is joining presenters from the UK’s Royal College of General Practitioners and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to provide an update on Long COVID symptoms and what we know so far.
Date: Thursday, 27 May 2021
Time: 7:00pm – 8.30pm AEST
Location: online
The interactive webinar will be facilitated by Dr Norman Swan, and will draw on experiences from the UK and Australia as well as provide an opportunity for questions and answers with the expert panel.
For more information, go to the registration page.

Consumers Health Forum of Australia

In case you missed it, you can now view the recording of the recent webinar hosted by Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF). Learn how the Taskforce utilised the Living Evidence model for COVID-19 and how consumers have shaped the treatment guidelines.