Prevention, diagnosis and management of community acquired respiratory virus infections including COVID-19 in patients with cancer: 2025 updated evidence-based guideline of the infectious diseases working party (AGIHO) of the German society for hematology and medical oncology (DGHO)

TL;DR

This paper provides updated guidelines for preventing and managing respiratory virus infections, including COVID-19, in cancer patients.

Contribution

The paper presents new evidence-based recommendations for CARV and SARS-CoV-2 management in immunocompromised cancer patients.

Findings

SARS-CoV-2 remains a significant threat to cancer patients alongside other respiratory viruses.

Updated guidelines emphasize prevention and early intervention for optimal patient care.

Recommendations are based on a systematic review of data up to early 2025.

Abstract

Community-acquired respiratory viruses (CARV), such as influenza-, parainfluenza- or respiratory syncytial virus, pose a significant threat to immunocompromised patients with cancer. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 has now joined the ranks of endemic respiratory viruses and continues to be a cause of significant morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer. Strategies to protect this vulnerable patient population both by prevention of infection and by early therapeutic intervention in case of infectious disease are therefore of utmost importance. This guideline provides updated evidence-based recommendations on diagnosis, prophylaxis and treatment of CARV infections including COVID-19 in patients with solid tumors or hematologic malignancies to support clinicians in offering optimal care. The guideline is based on a systematic review of currently available data and was developed until the beginning of 2025 by an expert panel of the Infectious Diseases Working Party (AGIHO) of the German Society for Hematology and Medical Oncology (DGHO).