WHO publishes influenza clinical management guidelines

On 21 March 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) published new guidelines for the clinical management of severe illness from influenza virus infections, providing recommendations on the use of influenza antivirals, adjunctive therapies and diagnostic strategies.

The new guidelines are intended to guide clinicians in their care of patients with, or at risk, of severe illness from seasonal, zoonotic or pandemic influenza. The guidelines were developed using a robust method that included commissioning systematic reviews and evaluating the quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework. Each guideline was reviewed by an external review group and approved by the WHO’s Guideline Review Committee.

The guidelines provide recommendations on:

• treatment with antivirals, specifically neuraminidase inhibitors
• treatment with adjunctive therapies, specifically corticosteroids, macrolides and passive immune therapy
• the use of diagnostic testing strategies in guiding treatment

The WHO will continue to monitor new evidence for influenza antivirals, adjunctive therapies and diagnostics, and will provide updates as and when relevant.

Source: WHO, 21 March 2022