The killer in Covid-19 is our own immune system


By AGENCY

A Covid-19 patient on a ventilator in the intensive care unit at Vila Penteado General Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The cytokine storm set off by the disease results in the lungs shutting down, often causing death through respiratory failure. — Bloomberg

Paradoxically, Covid-19 mostly kills its victims through an overreaction of the immune system, whose function is precisely to fight off infections in our body.

In a new review article – explicitly targeted to non-specialists as well – in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, a team of experts from Zunyi Medical University in China review the epidemiology, disease pathway, symptoms, diagnosis and current treatment of severe Covid-19.

Subscribe now to our Premium Plan for an ad-free and unlimited reading experience!
   

Next In Health

Breast implants help save man in need of lung transplant
Outwardly fine, but internally anxious
Up your fitness levels by walking on an incline
Presence of deep fat linked to Alzheimer’s disease risk
Thalassaemia: From mild anaemia to death at birth
Premature babies: Hold off on clamping the umbilical cord
How to reverse pre-diabetes before it becomes diabetes
Got gout? Avoid these foods to reduce your uric acid
A tax on sugar could help control our sweet tooth
When loneliness leads to premature death

Others Also Read