Clinical management of COVID-19: living guideline, June 2025

The latest WHO guidance on clinical management of COVID-19 provides up-to-date, evidence-based recommendations for treating individuals affected by the virus. This guidance emphasizes a comprehensive, patient-centered approach to care across all stages of illness.

Recent evidence, including findings from a meta-analysis, has led to two updated recommendations concerning antibiotic use in COVID-19 patients:

• For individuals with non-severe COVID-19 and low likelihood of bacterial co-infection, antibiotics should generally not be used empirically.
• For those with severe COVID-19 and low suspicion of bacterial co-infection, it is suggested to avoid routine empirical use of antibiotics.