On April 29, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued two health advisories for physicians, other health care professionals, public health departments and the public. The first alert updates information on the availability and use of recommended therapies for COVID-19 and advises advised against using unproven or harmful treatments for outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19. The second advisory warns of the potential for human infection with the avian influenza A (H5N1) virus and relays the CDC’s recommendations for patient investigation and testing, infection control, and therapies for treating and preventing the virus.

COVID-19 therapies
The first advisory, CDCHAN-00463, describes several treatments that are now widely available for patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are not hospitalized and who are at increased risk for severe COVID-19. It also notes that “(s)ystemic corticosteroids are not recommended to treat patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 who do not require supplemental oxygen, and that: “Patients who are receiving dexamethasone or another corticosteroid for other indications should continue therapy for their underlying conditions as directed by their health care providers. Antibacterial therapy is not recommended for the treatment of COVID-19 in the absence of another indication.”

Read the CDC advisory on COVID-19 therapies >>

Avian influenza A (H5N1)
The second advisory, CDCHAN-00464, reports a confirmed case of H5 bird flu in a Colorado resident after multiple reports of infected wild birds, commercial birds, and backyard flocks in the United States. The infected person in Colorado had direct exposure to poultry and was involved in the culling of poultry presumed to have bird flu.

The health alert notes that the risk of contracting H5 bird flu is still low for the general public. However, it says, the virus could cause severe disease in humans. The alert contains the CDC’s recommendations for patient investigation and testing, controlling the infection – including by the use of personal protective equipment – and antiviral treatment and prevention.

Read the CDC advisory on H5 bird flu >>