Practical Recommendations of Peking Union Medical College Hospital for Assessment and Management of COVID-19 in Primary Care (2023)

Following the recent adjustments to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention and control policies, an increasing number of medical staffs, especially those in primary care facilities are confronted with rapid growth of COVID-19 patients. Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) has therefore compiled this recommendation for COVID-19 primary care practices based on a patient-centered perspective and following recommendations from domestic and international guidelines as well as the latest Chinese government policies. Further, PUMCH's conception and compilation of this recommendation strictly adhere to evidence-based, concise and clinically applicable principles of practice. For the critical clinical questions with insufficient medical evidence, the recommendation offers insights on the basis of experience from PUMCH multi-disciplinary expert team and first-line medics' practices. Emphasizing on screening community residents with higher risk of severe illness, implementing early interventions including pharmaceutical treatment, enhancing nutritional support and improving sleep quality, we aim to construct a "Household-Community-Hospital" tertiary defense, with the hope of promoting health and reducing severe cases.