By Ritah Kemigisa
The World Health Organization has recommended two new drugs to treat patients with COVID-19, one for patients with the critical disease and one for non-severe cases.
The first drug, baricitinib, is used to treat autoimmune conditions, blood and bone marrow cancers, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Experts from the WHO guideline development group based their recommendation on “moderate certainty evidence” that it improves survival and reduces the need for ventilation.
The World health body has also made a conditional recommendation for the use of a monoclonal antibody known as sotrovimab in patients with non-severe cases.
According to them, the drug should only be administered to patients at the highest risk of hospitalization.
It is not recommended to use both drugs at the same time.
These recommendations are based on new evidence from seven trials involving over 4,000 patients with non-severe, severe, and critical infections.
