Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has resulted in a pandemic that has had widespread effects on human activities. The clinical presentation of severe COVID-19 includes a broad spectrum of clinical disease, most notably acute respiratory distress syndrome, cytokine release syndrome (CRS), multiorgan failure, and death. Direct viral damage and uncontrolled inflammation have been suggested as contributory factors in COVID-19 disease severity. The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the critical role of an effective host immune response in controlling a virus infection and demonstrated the devastating effect of immune dysregulation. Understanding the nature of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis is key to developing effective treatments for COVID-19. Here, we describe the nature of the dysregulated host immune response in COVID-19, identify potential mechanisms involved in CRS, and discuss potential strategies that can be used to manage immune dysregulation in COVID-19.
Keywords: COVID-19; IL-6; NF-κB; cytokine release syndrome; immunopathology; interferon.