Article Link: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30628-0/fulltext#articleInformation
With the outbreak of a novel virus, antiviral treatments and vaccine development are at the forefront of research. This article urges the consideration of screening COVID-19 patients for signs of hyperinflammation which could signal that they are experiencing a so called “cytokine storm” in response to the virus. This has been seen with other viral infections (like MERS and H5N1) and corticosteroids (immunosuppression) are a known treatment for the condition. Looking further into the possibility of cytokine storms may give us more insight into the fatalities caused by this virus and how to best combat them.