Clinical management of patients with COVID-19: Investigations and care for mild, moderate and severe disease

This course of the Clinical Management of Patients with COVID-19 course series provides an overview of the management strategies in caring for patients with mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19. Investigations and diagnostics are discussed with ‘Laboratory considerations in COVID-19’ and three modules dedicated to ‘Imaging in COVID-19.’ Administration of oxygen is given dedicated attention with ‘Oxygen therapy via nasal cannula and face masks.’ Management is addressed with the modules ‘Management of mild and moderate COVID-19,’ ‘Management of severe COVID-19’ and ‘Co-infections and use of antimicrobials in COVID-19.' Please note there is a separate course covering Therapeutics and Prophylactics for COVID-19, which complements this course (coming soon).

Photo credits: WHO/ Asad Zaidi

Course information

This course is also available in the following languages:

हिन्दी, हिंदी - नेपाली - Tiếng Việt - मैथिली - Русский - Казақ тілі

Overview: The Clinical Management of Patients with COVID-19 course series is developed for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The course provides crucial knowledge necessary to provide safe, effective quality patient care. Presentations address all aspects of clinical management, including facility preparation and surge planning; health worker infection prevention and control; interfacility transfer; clinical management of mild, moderate, and severely ill patients with COVID-19; special considerations for geriatric, pregnant, and paediatric patients with COVID-19; rehabilitation; and ethics and palliative care. The course series utilizes video lectures and downloadable presentations that have been updated with the latest guidance and evidence. Each module contains 5-8 lectures, and each lecture includes a quiz to evaluate knowledge acquisition.

Should you be interested in learning more about other aspects of clinical management of patients with COVID-19, please refer to the remaining modules of this course series:

• Clinical management of patients with COVID-19: General considerations
• Clinical management of patients with COVID-19: Initial approach to the acutely ill patient
• Clinical management of patients with COVID-19: Rehabilitation of patients with COVID-19

Learning objectives:

By the end of this course, participants should be able to:

• Discuss indications and appropriate use of laboratory tests commonly utilized for the diagnosis and management of COVID-19;
• Discuss indications, modalities, and considerations in chest imaging for patients with COVID-19;
• Identify common imaging findings for patients with suspected mild, moderate, severe and critical COVID-19 on chest x-ray, chest CT scan, and lung ultrasound;
• Relate infection prevention and control techniques and radiation safety measures to improve imaging safety for patients and health workers;
• Explain the rationale and list the indications for oxygen therapy;
• Appropriately utilize pulse oximetry in the evaluation and management of patients with suspected COVID-19;
• Initiate and titrate oxygen therapy via nasal cannula or face mask for patients with suspected COVID-19 requiring oxygen therapy;
• Clinically classify a patient with COVID-19 as mild, moderate or severe;
• Identify the risk factors for rapid deterioration and severe disease;
• Discuss considerations for home care for a patient with COVID-19, including patients with chronic medical conditions, children and pregnant women;
• Discuss indications for antimicrobial use in COVID-19 patients with suspected bacterial co-infection, give examples of antibiotic regimens, and list indications for discontinuing or changing regimens; and
• Recognize and manage common acute and chronic infections that may overlap with symptoms of COVID-19 or co-infect patients with COVID-19.

Course duration: This course will take approximately 3 hours to complete.

Certificates: A Record of Achievement certificate will be available to participants who score at least 80% of the total points available across all of the quizzes. A Confirmation of Participation certificate is also available for participants who complete at least 80% of the course material. Participants who receive a Record of Achievement can also download an Open Badge for this course. Click here to learn how.

Course contents

• Module 1: Laboratory considerations in COVID-19:

  By the end of this module, you should be able to: describe when to consider testing for SARS-CoV-2; describe different diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2; and describe laboratory abnormalities commonly seen in patients with COVID-19.

• Module 2: Imaging in COVID-19:

  By the end of this module, you should be able to: recognize the role for chest imaging in the clinical evaluation of patients with COVID-19; describe the characteristics of various pulmonary imaging modalities, and considerations in obtaining diagnostic imaging for patients with COVID-19; identify typical imaging findings for patients with COVID-19 in chest radiography, chest CT and lung ultrasound; apply the principles of radiation protection in medical imaging to help protect patients and health workers; and apply infection prevention and control measures to help protect patients and health workers utilizing chest imaging in COVID-19.

• Module 3: Management of mild and moderate COVID-19:

  By the end of this module, you should be able to: describe treatment options for mild and moderate COVID-19; discuss risk factors for rapid deterioration, severe disease or increased risk of death from COVID-19; discuss considerations for home care of patients with COVID-19.

• Module 4: Oxygen therapy in COVID-19: nasal cannulas and face masks:

  By the end of this module, you should be able to: explain the role for oxygen therapy for patients with COVID-19; describe the role of pulse oximetry to measure blood oxygen levels; describe indications for oxygen therapy; explain how to initiate oxygen therapy via nasal cannulas and face masks; explain how to titrate oxygen therapy delivered via nasal cannula or face masks.

• Module 5: Management of severe COVID-19:

  By the end of this module, you should be able to: describe the clinical features of severe COVID-19 in adults and children; discuss the management of adults and children with severe COVID-19.

• Module 6: Co-infections and use of antimicrobials in COVID-19:

  By the end of this module, you should be able to: describe the importance of early detection of co-infections in patients with COVID-19; describe the appropriate management of common acute co-infections; explain the importance of prevention and continuation of treatment for chronic infections; describe when to prescribe empiric antimicrobial therapy to patients with suspected COVID-19.