On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic was a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). In this context, the French High Council for Public Health (Haut Conseil de la santé publique, HCSP) is issuing recommendations on the management of confirmed cases with SARS-CoV-2.

The HCSP has based its recommendations on the knowledge currently available, particularly the scientific publications on Covid-19 as well as recommendations concerning the management of post-influenza pneumonia and severe pneumonia in intensive care.

This HCSP statement also provides guidance on non-specific management, and possible antiviral treatments, pending the setup of academic therapeutic testing aimed at advancing knowledge on the disease. These recommendations on specific treatments will be adapted as and when the findings of clinical trials become available.