SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19, is currently crusading the globe, infecting communities, and causing the largest global pandemic in 100 years. Emergency Departments are either currently being overrun, or preparing for the onslaught of “walking well” (80%), the sick needing hospitalization (15%), or those who are severely, critically ill (5%); while we also continue to see the “normal” emergency cases of strokes, heart attacks, anaphylaxis, asthma exacerbations, traumas, etc. It seems that as more information about COVID-19 becomes available, the more confusing this disease seems – its presentation and its course. So it is vital for Emergency Departments to remain on the cutting edge of the literature and the information surge while attempting to find a practical, safe way to evaluate and manage COVID-19 patients. But too much information can be harmful, so find a few, quality resources and stick to those. Below are some of the more valuable, high yield sources that I have found helpful.
FOUNDATIONAL RESOURCES
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 tracking map.Nick Mark MD, ICU Intensivist, @nickmark, has published a high yield, clinically practical summary of COVID-19. Use this to help guide your workup. He updates this information regularly on his website at https://www.onepagericu.com/.EMRAP, the awesome resource for all things EM, has made available freely their COVID-19 regularly updated information page. The corependium chapter alone is amazing. The regular YouTube live updates are also excellent.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 page is the ultimate resource for guidelines and updates from the infectious disease experts.The World Health Organization COVID-19 page, the other premier source for guidelines from the infectious disease world experts.JAMA also has a COVID-19 page that is constantly updated with the breaking new literature and expert opinions and advice.NEJM COVID-19 page with “A collection of articles and other resources on the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, including clinical reports, management guidelines, and commentary.”
