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COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2

• Treatment guidelines.
  • "Interim clinical guidance for patients  with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in Belgium"  (these recommendations may be subject to modifications, this link always leads to the most recent version).
  • "Richtlijnen voor de behandeling van kinderen met COVID-19" [guidelines of the UZ Leuven, revised in an independent way by the Belgian COVID-19 Paedia-tric Task Force (in Dutch)].
  • "Recommandations pour le traitement des enfants atteints de COVID-19" [guidelines of the UZ Leuven, revised in an independent way by the Belgian Pae-diatric Covid-19 Task Force (in French)].
    

• Reimbursement terms and conditions (RIZIV-INAMI) of the drugs mentioned in the recommendations.
  • Lopinavir-ritonavir (Kaletra): not reimbursed in this indication.
  • Hydroxychloroquine sulphate (Plaquenil): reimbursed in chapter I (even if, as in this case, the drug is used outside the officially registered indications).
  • Chloroquine phosphate  (extemporaneous preparation): only reimbursed if chloroquine phosphate is the only active ingredient of the  preparation.
  • Chloroquine base (imported in line with article article 105): not reimbursed.

• Mandatory reporting forms for the admission and discharge to and from the hospital of patients with COVID-19.
  • Admission form: word version in Dutch.
  • Admission form: electronic version in Dutch.
  • Discharge form: word version in Dutch.
  • Discharge form: electronic version in Dutch.
    
  • Admission form: word version in French.
  • Admission form: electronic version in French.
  • Discharge form: word version word in French.
  • Discharge form: electronic version in French.

• General information concerning COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 can be obtained from:
  • Sciensano.
  • the Belgian Federal Public Service (FPS) Health .
  • the Belgian Group of Paediatricians-Infectiologists.
  • the Belgian Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP).
    
  • the Belgian Centre for Pharmaceutical Information [BCFI (Dutch version)] .
  • the Belgian Centre for Pharmaceutical Information [CBIP (French version)].
    
  • the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
  • the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
  • the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).
  • the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
  • the World Health Organization (WHO), regional office for Europe.
  • the Lancet.
  • the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
  • the New England Journal of Medicine Watch (NEJM Journal Watch.

• "Database about all COVID-19 clinical trials running in Belgium which have been approved by FAMHP" (fill in covid-19 in the "medical condition/affection" case and click on "Apply" at the bottom of the page).

• Recommended reading.
  
  • "Recycling of FFP2 masks" [Nederlands Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (in Dutch)].
  • "Pandemic preparedness plan for hospitals: part 1" [Nederlandse Vereniging voor Intensive Care (in Dutch)].
  • Ethical aspects and COVID-19.
    
    • "Ethical principles concerning the proportionality of critical care during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium" (Belgian Society of Intensive Care Medcine).
      
    • "Ethical aspects of making choices in the COVID-19 crisis" [guidelines UZ Leuven (in Dutch)].
  • COVID-19 and HIV infection.
    
    • "SARS-CoV-2: impact on people living with HIV (PLWH)" (guidelines Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp).
    • "Updated EACS and BHIVA statement on risk of COVID-19 for people living with HIV (PLWH)".
  • "COVID-19: gastrointestinal manifestations and potential fecal-oral transmission" (pre proof publication in "Pharmacology").
  • "The internet book of critical care: COVID-19".
  • "Chinese handbook on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19".
  • "Use of antiviral drugs to reduce COVID-19 transmission" (Lancet Global Health).
  • Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of COVID-19.
    
    • Use of convalescent plasma.
      • "The feasibility of convalescent plasma therapy in severe COVID-19 patients: a pilot study".
      • "Investigational COVI-19 convalescent plasma: emergency innovative new drugs".
      • "Development initiated for a plasma-derived COVID-19 therapy" (European Pharmaceutical Review).
    • "No azithromycin for the at home treatment of patients with COVID-19" (recommendations by the Belgian health authorities BAPCOC and FAGG/ AFMPS): in Dutch / in French.
    • "Coronavirus drugs already in the pipeline" (Yahoo Finance).
    • "Advice on the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories for COVID-19" (European Medicines Agency).
    • "Effective treatment of severe COVID-19 patients with tocilizumab (RoAcemtra)" (small Chinese trial).
    • "WHO to launch a multinational trial to jumpstart the search for coronavirus drugs"  (4 arms: remdesivir, lopinavir + ritonavir, lopinavir + ritonavir + inter-feron bèta, chloroquine).
    • "Flash VIG-news: hydroxychloroquine en chloroquine, pas op voor hun elminatie-halfwaardetijd en voor het risico op geneesmiddeleninterac-ties" (FAGG). / "Flash VIG-news: hydroxychloroquine en chloroquine, attention à leur demi-vie d'élimination et aux risques d'interactions médicamenteuses"   (AFMPS). Quote: "Main conclusion: the reported adverse drug reactions of lopinavir/ritonavir, remdesivir and hydroxychloroquine are in line with their known safety profile. However, interpretation of these data must be done with some caution (considering underreporting, ...)."
    • "Summary of adverse drug reactions in COVID-19" (FAGG-AFMPS).
    • "Tocilizumab safety profile" (FAGG-AFMPS).

• At home treatment of adult patients with community acquired bacterial pneumonia (IGGI recommendations).
  • Preliminary remarks, CAP subgroup I and CAP subgroup II (in Dutch).
  • Preliminary remarks, CAP subgroup I and CAP subgroup II (in French).