The immune response to SARS-CoV-2 reveals a delicate balance between protective effects and harmful pathological reactions and can possibly explain the highly variable disease manifestations in subjects infected with this novel coronavirus. A better understanding of the anti-viral immune response is not only critical for vaccine development but might also provide targets for pharmaceutical and immunological treatment options. Recent research literature on immune aspects of COVID-19 is summarized in this review with an outlook how bats have evolved to live with these viral infections.
© 2020 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.