J Med Virol . The Cytokine Storm and COVID-19

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J Med Virol


. 2020 Jun 27.
doi: 10.1002/jmv.26232. Online ahead of print.
The Cytokine Storm and COVID-19


Biying Hu ¹ , Shaoying Huang ² , Lianghong Yin ¹



Affiliations

• PMID: 32592501
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.26232

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which began in Wuhan, China in December 2019 has caused a large global pandemic and poses a serious threat to public health. More than four million cases of COVID-19, which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), have been confirmed as of May 11, 2020. SARS-CoV-2 is a highly pathogenic and transmissible coronavirus that primarily spreads through respiratory droplets and close contact. A growing body of clinical data suggests that a cytokine storm is associated with COVID-19 severity and is also a crucial cause of death from COVID-19. In the absence of antivirals and vaccines for COVID-19, there is an urgent need to understand the cytokine storm in COVID-19. Here, we have reviewed the current understanding of the features of SARS-CoV-2 and the pathological features, pathophysiological mechanisms, and treatments of the cytokine storm induced by COVID-19. Additionally, we suggest that the identification and treatment of the cytokine storm are important components for rescuing patients with severe COVID-19. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; cytokine storm; literature review.