Immune Modulators Provide Some Additional Benefit to Patients with Severe COVID-19

During 2021, we learned that the cornerstone of therapy for patients with severe COVID-19 is excellent supportive care. Supplemental oxygen, often via high-flow nasal cannula, is essential, and patients who develop respiratory failure should be treated with evidence-based interventions for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) including low tidal volume ventilation and prone position. In addition, standard of care now includes treatment with dexamethasone for patients who are receiving supplemental oxygen. Many clinicians treat hospitalized patients with remdesivir (as we do across our health system), although how much additional benefit it confers is unclear, particularly in critically ill patients.

In 2021, use of immune modulatory th…