The pathogenesis and treatment of the “Cytokine Storm” in COVID-19

Hussin A. Rothana, Siddappa N. Byrareddy

The pathogenesis and treatment of the “Cytokine Storm” in COVID-19

Qing Ye, Bili Wang, Jianhua Mao

J Infect. 2020;80(6):607-613. doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2020.03.037

ABSTRACT

Cytokine storm is an excessive immune response to external stimuli. The pathogenesis of cytokine storm is complex. The disease progresses rapidly and mortality is high. Some evidence shows that during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, the severe deterioration of some patients has been closely related to the cytokine storm in the body.

This article reviews the mechanism of occurrence and treatment strategies of the inflammatory storm induced by the COVID-19 virus in an attempt to provide valuable drug guidance for clinical treatment.