What do the early reports really tell us?

​The data currently available for COVID-19 treatments is very preliminary and does not demonstrate or disprove efficacy. Current guidelines (NIH, CDC, WHO, IDSA, SCCM) have not found enough evidence to recommend using or not using any drug for the treatment of COVID-19 regardless of severity. This should be kept in mind as news reports from unreviewed, unedited articles are leaked. These studies may have design flaws, inaccurate or incomplete descriptions of results or missing information. The published trials are small and have not adequately controlled for confounders, so the true effect of the intervention is not clear. Most often the problem involves several drugs that may have antiviral properties included in the supportive care of the patient. Therefore, it is unclear which treatment(s) produced an effect. Another problem is when the drug is not given until 1-2 weeks after the patient develops symptoms, which may be too late to have a full effect. So, review the most recent guideline from a major medical group, optimize supportive care according to their recommendations and consider an investigative treatment as a shared decision with the patient and in the context of a clinical trial.