'Cytokine storm'; identifying this immune response is key to patient's survival: report

[G_j]

https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/03/the-coronavirus-turns-deadly-when-it-leads-to-cytokine-storm-identifying-this-immune-response-is-key-to-patients-survival-report.html

The coronavirus turns deadly when it leads to ‘cytokine storm’; identifying this immune response is key to patient’s survival: report

March 13

Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that has swept across the globe, is not like a bad case of the flu.

For one thing, a new study indicates that Covid-19 triggers in some people something called a cytokine storm, where one’s own immune system goes berserk. This “virus-activated” immune response can be deadly, causing severe respiratory distress and the subsequent shutdown of multiple organs.

Indeed, how one’s immune system reacts appears to be central to Covid-19′s severity.

“The virus matters, but the host response matters at least as much, and probably more,” University of Iowa virologist Stanley Perlman told The Scientist magazine last month.

For some people whose immune systems are compromised by age or for often-subtle genetic or environmental reasons, the normal immune response doesn’t retreat when it should. It goes into overdrive, leading to “a flood of immune cells into the lung.” This has a rapid cascading effect in the body.

..more..

[snpsmom]

1. THe Lancet just published about this

[link:https://www.thelancet.com/pb-assets/Lancet/pdfs/S0140673620306280.pdf|

[hlthe2b]

3. Yeah... When I read the side by side accounts of the Female 29 yo Wuhan nurse and physician

and the physician's fulminant course that is exactly what came to mind. It is exceedingly hard to consider corticosteroids in such patients, but it clearly needs to be considered if parameters indicate.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. This was one of the major problems in the 1918 pandemic. Young people were thought to...

be more resistant to it, but it turned out they were more susceptible to the cytokine storm-- which meant their immune systems went haywire.

[hlthe2b]

4. Yes.

[LisaL]

5. So what makes this virus different? Since unlike the flu pandemic in 1918, it

has much more effect on the elderly.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. Well, it may not be so much a difference in flu, but differences in our modern population...

Spanish flu deaths came from malnutrition, pneumonia, and other things that are not so problematic now.

And, remember, back in 1918 we were in WWI and had other pan-, epi-demics like dysentery going on. Spanish flu wasn't just big, but another "Oh, Shit" event in the middle of many.

[Chemisse]

9. I wondered that also, so read up on it a bit and found an explanation of sorts.

Young people died in 1918 because they had stronger immune systems and the vigorous response overwhelmed the body with a cytokine storm, whereas the elderly were not able to muster such a response and were spared.

But with this cold-related virus, the immune system is overreacting among the elderly and health-compromised instead. This seemed really contradictory to me.

Here is the only 'explanation' I found:

For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, some people—especially the elderly and sick—may have dysfunctional immune systems that fail to keep the response to particular pathogens in check. This could cause an uncontrolled immune response, triggering an overproduction of immune cells and their signaling molecules and leading to a cytokine storm often associated with a flood of immune cells into the lung.

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/why-some-covid-19-cases-are-worse-than-others-67160

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. So autoimmune diseases like psoriasis and colitis are a concern? Well, that's my whole family, then.

[Frustratedlady]

10. I am getting Entyvio for UC. As they begin the infusion, they add corticosteroids...

I wonder if that is the same they are referring to in this article? Is it like prednisone? Not being that literate in matters of the medical field, it is sometimes difficult to know what is in your favor, or not. I'm already compromised by age, so any glimmer of hope is welcome.

[Cirque du So-What]

7. I have a personal reason for researching this further

Roughly 25 years ago, I got vaccinated for hepatitis B as a first responder. After the first of two shots, a blood sample was taken, and the nurse told me that my immune system response (antibody creation) was over 10 times greater than that of anyone in our group that got vaccinated at the same time. I want to find out whether this is related to the Coronavirus response described.