Cochrane COVID-19 publications

Cochrane Reviews and associated content from the Cochrane Library relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• New and updated Cochrane Reviews
• Special Collections
• Cochrane Editorials

See also the Cochrane COVID-19 Study Register of primary research studies on COVID-19, supporting rapid evidence synthesis.

New and updated Cochrane Reviews

Cochrane continues to prepare new and updated Cochrane Reviews related to COVID-19. See also the Cochrane COVID Review Bank for review titles in progress and for topics within priority areas.

Most Cochrane Reviews related to COVID-19 are associated with one or more Cochrane Clinical Answers; many are associated with podcasts or editorials and are included in Special Collections. These associated content types can be seen in the navigation menu accompanying each review, under 'Related'.

Quick links:

• Latest Cochrane Clinical Answers related to COVID-19
• Cochrane podcasts related to COVID-19

2024 Reviews

• Favipiravir for treating COVID‐19 (5 February 2024)

2023 Reviews

• Nirmatrelvir combined with ritonavir for preventing and treating COVID‐19 (30 November 2023)
• Early versus late tracheostomy in critically ill COVID-19 patients (20 November 2023)
• Communication to support physical distancing for COVID-19 prevention and control (9 October 2023)
• Factors that impact on recruitment to vaccine trials in the context of a pandemic or epidemic: a qualitative evidence synthesis (1 September 2023)
• Prophylactic anticoagulants for non-hospitalised people with COVID-19 (16 August 2023)
• Plasmapheresis to remove amyloid fibrin(ogen) particles for treating the post-COVID-19 condition (26 July 2023)
• Antiplatelet agents for the treatment of adults with COVID-19 (25 July 2023)
• Interleukin-6 blocking agents for treating COVID-19: a living systematic review (1 June 2023)
• Obesity as an independent risk factor for COVID-19 severity and mortality (24 May 2023)
• Risk of thromboembolism in patients with COVID-19 who are using hormonal contraception (15 May 2023)
• Convalescent plasma for people with COVID-19: a living systematic review (10 May 2023)
• Hyperimmune immunoglobulin for people with COVID-19 (26 January 2023)

2022 Reviews

• Efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines (7 December 2022)
• Antibody tests for identification of current and past infection with SARS‐CoV‐2 (17 November 2022)
• Nirmatrelvir combined with ritonavir for preventing and treating COVID‐19 (20 September 2022)
• Fluvoxamine for the treatment of COVID-19 (14 September 2022)
• Immunity after COVID‐19 vaccination in people with higher risk of compromised immune status: a scoping review (9 August 2022)
• Interventions to increase COVID‐19 vaccine uptake: a scoping review (3 August 2022)
• Rapid, point‐of‐care antigen tests for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection (updated 22 July 2022)
• Early spontaneous breathing for acute respiratory distress syndrome in individuals with COVID-19 (29 June 2022)
• Ivermectin for preventing and treating COVID-19 (updated 21 June 2022)
• SARS-CoV-2-neutralising monoclonal antibodies to prevent COVID‐19 (17 June 2022)
• Janus kinase inhibitors for the treatment of COVID‐19 (13 June 2022)
• Unintended consequences of measures implemented in the school setting to contain the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review (6 June 2022)
• Signs and symptoms to determine if a patient presenting in primary care or hospital outpatient settings has COVID-19 disease (updated 20 May 2022)
• Thoracic imaging tests for the diagnosis of COVID‐19 (updated 16 May 2022)
• Workplace interventions to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection outside of healthcare settings (06 May 2022)
• Inhaled corticosteroids for the treatment of COVID-19 (9 March 2022)
• Anticoagulants for people hospitalised with COVID‐19 (updated 4 March 2022)
• Interleukin‐1 blocking agents for treating COVID‐19 (26 January 2022)
• Measures implemented in the school setting to contain the COVID-19 pandemic (17 January 2022)

2021 Reviews

• Antibiotics for the treatment of COVID‐19 (22 October 2021)
• Colchicine for treatment of COVID‐19 (18 October 2021)
• Non‐pharmacological measures implemented in the setting of long‐term care facilities to prevent SARS‐CoV‐2 infections and their consequences: a rapid review (15 September 2021)
• SARS‐CoV‐2‐neutralising monoclonal antibodies for treatment of COVID‐19 (2 September 2021)
• Interventions for palliative symptom control in COVID‐19 patients (23 August 2021)
• Systemic corticosteroids for the treatment of COVID-19 (16 August 2021)
• Remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 (5 August 2021)
• Interventions for the treatment of persistent post-COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction (22 July 2021)
• Interventions for the prevention of persistent post-COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction (22 July 2021)
• Vitamin D supplementation for the treatment of COVID-19: a living systematic review (24 May 2021)
• Convalescent plasma or hyperimmune immunoglobulin for people with COVID-19: a living systematic review (updated 20 May 2021)
• International travel‐related control measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic: a rapid review (updated 25 March 2021)
• Interleukin‐6 blocking agents for treating COVID‐19: a living systematic review (18 March 2021)
• COVID-19 and its cardiovascular effects: a systematic review of prevalence studies (11 March 2021)
• Chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 (12 February 2021)

2020 Reviews

• Care bundles for improving outcomes in patients with COVID-19 or related conditions in intensive care – a rapid scoping review (21 December 2020)
• Measures implemented in the school setting to contain the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review (17 December 2020)
• Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses (20 November 2020)
• Routine laboratory testing to determine if a patient has COVID‐19 (19 November 2020)
• Interventions to support the resilience and mental health of frontline health and social care professionals during and after a disease outbreak, epidemic or pandemic: a mixed methods systematic review (5 November 2020)
• Interventions to reduce contaminated aerosols produced during dental procedures for preventing infectious diseases (13 October 2020)
• Use of antimicrobial mouthwashes (gargling) and nasal sprays by healthcare workers to protect them when treating patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 (17 September 2020)
• Antimicrobial mouthwashes (gargling) and nasal sprays administered to patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection to protect healthcare workers treating them (17 September 2020)
• Antimicrobial mouthwashes (gargling) and nasal sprays to protect healthcare workers when undertaking aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) on patients without suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection (17 September 2020)
• Universal screening for people with COVID-19: a rapid review (15 September 2020)
• Quarantine alone or in combination with other public health measures to control COVID-19: a rapid review (updated 14 September 2020)
• Oxygen targets in the intensive care unit during mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory distress syndrome: a rapid review (2 September 2020)
• Digital contact tracing technologies in epidemics: a rapid review (18 August 2020)
• Interventions commonly available during pandemics for heavy menstrual bleeding: an overview of Cochrane Reviews (23 July 2020)
• Video calls for reducing social isolation and loneliness in older people: a rapid review (22 May 2020)
• Personal protective equipment for preventing highly infectious diseases due to exposure to contaminated body fluids in healthcare staff (updated 15 May 2020)
• Hand cleaning with ash for reducing the spread of viral and bacterial infections: a rapid review (28 April 2020)
• Barriers and facilitators to healthcare workers’ adherence with infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines for respiratory infectious diseases: a rapid qualitative evidence synthesis (21 April 2020)

 

Special Collections

Developed in conjunction with the Cochrane Community and based on World Health Organization guidance, these Special Collections assemble Cochrane Reviews in key topic areas relating to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and to health care during the pandemic. These Special Collections are updated regularly in response to new information and include links to relevant Cochrane Clinical Answers to support decision-making for health professionals.

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19): evidence relevant to acute and critical care

This Special Collection brings together Cochrane Reviews identified as most directly relevant to the management of people hospitalized with severe acute respiratory infections. This collection is available in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Czech, German, Farsi, French, Japanese, Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19): infection control and prevention measures

This Special Collection brings together Cochrane Reviews identified as most directly relevant to the prevention of infection. This collection is available in Simplified Chinese, Czech, German, Farsi, French, Japanese, Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19): support for wellbeing in the healthcare workforce

Supporting the wellbeing of healthcare workers is crucial to sustaining our health systems during and beyond the current crisis. This collection brings together Cochrane evidence on interventions that may help support the wellbeing of the healthcare workforce and reducing occupational stress. This collection s available in Simplified Chinese, German, Farsi, French, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19): remote care through telehealth

The measures adopted internationally to curb the spread of COVID-19 have led to significant changes in how health care is accessed and provided. This collection includes systematic reviews most relevant to remote health care through telehealth. This collection is available in Simplified Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Japanese, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19): optimizing health in the home workspace

To help reduce the spread of COVID-19, workers in many countries have changed their usual work habits and are working from home where feasible. This collection includes evidence for maintaining health and wellbeing when working from home. This collection is available in Simplified Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19): effective options for quitting smoking during the pandemic

This Special Collection includes Cochrane Reviews that provide evidence to support to people attempting to stop smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic. This collection is available in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Croation, Czech, Farsi, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Bahasa Malaysia, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Thai.

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19): evidence relevant to clinical rehabilitation

Rehabilitation of individuals who have experienced COVID-19 must consider not only the consequences of the disease but also the effects of treatments applied during the acute phase. This Special Collection focuses on rehabilitation interventions for prioritized conditions. This collection is available in Simplified Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19): regional anaesthesia to reduce drug use in anaesthesia and avoid aerosol generation

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique challenges for anaesthesia. This Special Collection brings together evidence from Cochrane Anaesthesia to support decision-making when planning anaesthesia in this context. This collection is available in Simplified Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Thai.

 

Cochrane Editorials

Making wise choices about low‐value health care in the COVID‐19 pandemic

Overuse of health care can cause harm to individuals and threaten the sustainability of health systems. The importance of addressing overuse is heightened by the imperative to control healthcare costs, which were growing substantially even before the COVID‐19 pandemic. (22 September 2021)

 

Contested effects and chaotic policies: the 2020 story of (hydroxy) chloroquine for treating COVID‐19

During 2020 chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine were touted as miracle cures for COVID‐19 and introduced into COVID‐19 treatment protocols. The dissemination of information on these drugs in the scientific press and other media has been rapid and tumultuous with strong and polarized opinions among scientists, politicians, and the general public, building a climate of mistrust. (25 March 2021)

 

COVID‐19: working together and making a difference for decision‐makers

Cochrane’s response to COVID‐19 had to meet the needs of evidence users and decision‐makers as the pandemic developed. Cochrane groups and their partners have needed to bring primary research, evidence synthesis, and guideline development together, via technological solutions and global teams. (10 December 2020)

 

Policy makers must act on incomplete evidence in responding to COVID‐19

Public health officials and politicians across the world have been seeking scientific expertise to guide policy on preventing, diagnosing, and managing COVID‐19 infection and its sequelae. Given the limits of the evidence available, sound professional judgment is needed to interpret complex, circumstantial evidence regarding effectiveness. (20 November 2020)