Abstract

CORRELATING THE CYTOKINE STORM AND DISEASE SEVERITY IN COVID-19 PATIENTS - A REVIEW

Meril Lucy Shibu, Neenu Wilson*

Abstract

With the new cases and increase in the mortality rate each day, the pandemic outbreak had become a huge threat to the health care sector and public globally. As in some patients were asymptomatic it was hard to diagnose the infection and also results in rapid transmission of the virus. The unpredictable nature of the infection had become a great challenge for health care professionals. In patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with severe infection had developed a cytokine storm which is due to the uncontrolled and excessive release of pro-inflammatory markers especially the cytokines. The presence of cytokine storm tends to worsen several infectious diseases, which also includes severe acute respiratory syndrome. The cytokine storm not only influences the severity of the infection but also is recognized as the main reason behind multiple organ failure. The excessive release of inflammatory mediators into the organ is the main cause of organ failure in COVID 19 patients, which in turn had worsened the condition and even resulted in death. So it is essential to monitor the cytokine levels and other inflammatory markers in patients who are at higher risk of developing severe COVID 19 infection.

Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Cytokine storm, Inflammatory mediators, Pathogenesis, Disease severity.