CADTH Weekly COVID-19 Update

Introducing our newly redesigned COVID-19 Evidence Portal featuring more information and new search capabilities.

CADTH is committed to supporting Canada’s health care decision-makers through this challenging and uncertain time.

Our COVID-19 evidence portal contains the latest COVID-19 information from CADTH and other respected organizations. Content is updated daily to reflect the rapidly changing and growing state of the international scientific evidence related to this disease.

The following is a summary of the most recent information posted to our COVID-19 portal.

Events

WEBINAR: Addressing Psychological Trauma Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Can Technology Help in a Time of Acute Crisis? (June 11, 2020)

• Register to attend this webinar to hear about the findings of an evidence review on internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Dr. Rima Styra, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto will join us to offer a clinician’s perspective on the impact of this pandemic on people’s mental health and the role that iCBT can have in the treatment of PTSD.
• Other featured speakers include Louise Bradly from the Mental Health Commission of Canada and CADTH’s Eftyhia Helis.

PREVIOUSLY RECORDED WEBINAR: Does the Evidence Support the Hype? COVID-19 and Antiviral Treatments with Dr. Gordon Guyatt (May 29, 2020)

Reports

Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine, With or Without Azithromycin, for COVID-19: An Addendum to the April 20, 2020 Brief Overview

• Important new evidence became available since the original Brief Overview on the use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine, with or without azithromycin, for treating COVID-19 was posted on the CADTH website on April 20, 2020.
• There is still uncertainty regarding the clinical benefit of using these drug regimens for treating patients with COVID-19. However, there may be potential harm associated with the use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine, with or without azithromycin.
• Some of the new studies have reported the occurrence of QTc prolongation on electrocardiographic readings; QTc prolongation may be associated with increased risk of severe cardiac arrythmia. Some research projects on hydroxychloroquine, including the WHO-sponsored Solidarity trial, have temporarily been halted in order to assess the safety data collected thus far on this drug.

Use of Contact Tracing Apps to Contain COVID-19

• We prepared a briefing note that describes elements of both manual and digital contact tracing efforts; and the resources required for conducting contact tracing, as well as the privacy considerations pertaining to the sharing, management, and governance of data.
• Other factors such as uptake, accuracy, and health equity concerns, not discussed in this document, are likely to influence the effectiveness of contact tracing apps.

Serological Tests for COVID-19

• We prepared a report outlining how Health Canada is actively assessing serological tests within the expedited access process.
• To date, the performance and role of these tests in clinical settings has not been completely demonstrated. Currently, evidence to confirm that individuals have immunity to COVID-19 or are protected from reinfection is lacking.

What You Should Know About Drug Treatments for COVID-19

• We created this handout, intended for the general public, explaining the risks of using unproven drug treatments for COVID-19.
• The handout also provides information on what to do if someone is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, tips on how to assess the reliability of health information found on the internet, and a list of reliable websites that provide information on COVID-19.

Methoxyflurane for Acute Pain: Clinical Effectiveness

• We conducted a report to search for evidence on the comparative clinical effectiveness of methoxyflurane versus inhaled nitrous oxide for acute pain, as well as the clinical effectiveness of methoxyflurane for acute pain in pre-hospital or emergency department settings.
• One systematic review was identified; however, it has not been critically appraised by CADTH. A list of other potentially relevant citations is included in the Appendix.

CADTH Literature Searching Tools

Our skilled Research Information Specialists have developed literature searching tools to facilitate their searching. These same tools are being shared with other Canadian and international librarians to help them conduct literature searches for topics related to COVID-19.

Access our COVID-19 Search Strings and our COVID-19 Grey Literature Resources.

Additional Resources

CADTH is pleased to showcase additional COVID-19 resources from our partner organizations, as well as from the Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial governments’ health jurisdictions:

• Pan-Canadian Health Organizations
• Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Information

Can't Find What You Need?  Let Us Know.

Canadian ministries and departments of health, publicly funded organizations responsible for health service delivery, and clinical society stakeholders are encouraged to submit a request or contact their CADTH Liaison Officer. We’re here to help.

The CADTH Weekly COVID-19 Update is intended to keep you informed about the latest information posted on the CADTH COVID-19 portal. You’re receiving this update because you’ve subscribed to our CADTH e-alert system.