Within the last week, more information concerning the immune mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 has come to light. International studies characterizing the host response continue to provide updated information, and studies here in the US are beginning to gain momentum as the first wave of approval and funding reaches labs across the country. Much of what has been published concerning potential mechanisms of the viral infection have been speculations based on the previous coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV) and their interactions with the human immune system. With each passing week, the uniqueness of …
Lymphopenia and Cytokine Storm are Common in COVID-19 and Act as Markers of Disease Severity
Written by: Parker Davis Edited by: Jina Zhou and Esther Melamed 4/7/2020 The host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection has been documented and characterized to some extent over the course of the last few months. Still in the early stages of understanding, there is some contention about the exact mechanism of the coronavirus infection. The earliest retrospective studies characterized a cytokine storm of pro-inflammatory mediators, suggesting a superantigenic component of the novel coronavirus. More recent papers, however, have demonstrated a more nuanced view of the disease …