Expert consensus on combination antiviral therapy for high-risk COVID-19 patients: A timely call to action

On May 5, 2023, the WHO declared that the COVID-19 pandemic no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), but SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread and evolve on a global scale. The WHO reported that COVID-19 still poses a threat to humanity, and especially in some areas with large numbers of infected people. For some high-risk COVID-19 patients, such as those with underlying conditions, elderly patients, patients who need long-term immunosuppressive therapy after organ transplantation, patients with immunosuppressive diseases, patients who tend not to test negative for SARS-CoV-2 despite standard antiviral therapy, and cancer patients, special attention is still required after infection with SARS-CoV-2. How to clear SARS-CoV-2 in a timely manner is the key to treating such patients. Based on the demands of clinical practice and medical evidence, the National Center for Infectious Diseases of China assembled experts from relevant disciplines to reach the Chinese expert consensus on the combined use of antivirals to treat COVID-19, providing timely suggestions to resolve the medication issues that have been plaguing clinical practice. The consensus suggests that for special patients, combined medication can promptly eliminate the virus without increasing the risk to patient safety.