COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing symptoms (including at the end of life) in the community

22nd April 2020 by PIP editor Leave a Comment

NICE has published new rapid guidelines on the active management of patients with suspected and confirmed COVID-19, and in patients without COVID-19. The guidelines have been designed to maximise the safety of patients whilst enabling services to make the best use of NHS resources.

On 22 April 2020, NICE added ibuprofen as an option for managing fever and other symptoms that antipyretics would help treat. They also clarified the source of prescribing data in some tables.

The guideline on managing symptoms provides advice to health professionals on the management of cough, fever, breathlessness and anxiety, delirium and agitation in those with COVID-19. It includes approaches for managing these symptoms such as considering the use of paracetamol in people with fever.

People are advised to first treat a mild cough with simple measures and should also avoid lying on their back as this can make coughing, which helps clear the lungs, more difficult. If the cough is more severe and distressing, codeine linctus, codeine phosphate tablets or morphine sulfate oral solution could be considered for short-term use.