The 2019 Coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) was declared a global Public Health Emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 30th January 2020.

In order to ensure immediate access to relevant systematic reviews, this Cochrane Library Special Collection assembles Cochrane Reviews identified as most directly relevant to the management of people hospitalized with severe acute respiratory infections. It includes reviews that are relevant to the WHO interim guidance for the 2019 coronavirus outbreak (28 January 2020) as well as reviews identified as relevant by Cochrane Acute and Emergency Care.

Link to this Cochrane Special Collection: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/collections/doi/SC000039/full.

Acknowledgements

This Special Collection was developed by Michael Brown (Senior Editor, Cochrane Acute and Emergency Care; Senior Editor, Cochrane Circulation and Breathing) and Harald Herkner (Co-ordinating Editor, Cochrane Emergency and Critical Care), working with Toby Lasserson (Deputy Editor in Chief), Liz Bickerdike (Associate Editor), Robin Featherstone (Information Specialist), and Monaz Mehta (Editor) in the Cochrane Editorial & Methods Department.