Abstract
Objective: To analyze the nutritional practices and strategies adopted in nutritional assistance and diet therapy in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Methods: Integrative review of scientific literature through the electronic databases PubMed, Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS) and Scientific Eletronic Library Online (SciELO). All scientific articles in Portuguese, Spanish and English available in full and free of charge, as well as documents from associations of national and international scientific relevance, referring to the year 2020, were considered, with 7 articles included in this review. Results: It was evidenced the use of nutritional screening tools and the implementation of care to identify and reduce the deleterious effects of malnutrition in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Nutritional therapy consisting of a personalized diet plus oral nutritional supplementation was suggested, as well as the initiation of enteral or parenteral nutritional therapy depending on the patient's clinical conditions. Studies have also demonstrated the importance of adequate nutritional management and rapid nutritional intervention in the treatment and prevention of other adverse implications of the disease. Final Considerations: It is unanimous among researchers and professionals of the relevance that diet therapy has in recovering the health of hospitalized patients.