The Surviving Sepsis Campaign COVID-19 panel issued several recommendations to help support healthcare workers caring for critically ill ICU patients with COVID-19.

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of a rapidly spreading illness, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), affecting thousands of people around the world.

Urgent guidance for clinicians caring for the sickest of these patients is needed.

A panel of 36 experts from 12 countries used as method.

All panel members completed the World Health Organization conflict of interest disclosure form.

The panel proposed 53 questions that are relevant to the management of COVID-19 in the ICU.

Literature were searched for direct and indirect evidence on the management of COVID-19 in critically ill patients in the ICU.

Relevant and recent systematic reviews identified on most questions relating to supportive care.

Certainty in the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach assessed, then generated recommendations based on the balance between benefit and harm, resource and cost implications, equity, and feasibility.

Recommendations were either strong or weak, or in the form of best practice recommendations.

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign COVID-19 panel issued 54 statements, of which 4 are best practice statements, 9 are strong recommendations, and 35 are weak recommendations. No recommendation was provided for 6 questions.

The topics were:

1. Infection Control
2. Laboratory Diagnosis and Specimens
3. Hemodynamic Support
4. Ventilatory Support
5. COVID-19 Therapy

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