NICE recommendation to manage symptoms of COVID-19

NICE issues rapid guidelines to provide recommendations to manage the symptoms. These recommendations are specifically for healthcare professionals.

KEY SYMPTOMS:

• Cough

• Fever

• Breathlessness

• Anxiety

• Delirium

• Muscle ache

• Headache

• If the symptoms are weak, patients feel better within a week

Managing cough:

• Initial management of the cough should be with honey

• Later NICE recommended codeine linctus (15 mg/5 ml) or codeine phosphate tablets

• The other choice is morphine sulphate oral solution

Managing fever:

• Paracetamol is the recommended treatment for managing fever

Managing breathlessness:

• Encourage patients to relax

• Keep the patients in a cool place

• Encourage opening of the windows for better flow of the air

• Provide oxygen therapy

Managing anxiety:

• Provide lorazepam tablets

• People who cannot swallow can be administered with midazolam injection

• For delirium, administer haloperidol tablets

• For patients who are suffering from delirium and are unable to swallow, administer levomepromazine injection