Cytokine storm syndrome in SARS-CoV-2: a review

After wreaking havoc on a global level with a total of 5,488,825 confirmed cases and 349,095 deaths as of May 2020, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is truly living up to the expectations of a 21st-century pandemic. Since the major cause of mortality is a respiratory failure from acute respiratory distress syndrome, the only present-day management option is supportive as the transmission relies solely on human-to-human contact. Patients suffering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) should be tested for hyper inflammation to screen those for whom immunosuppression can increases chances of survival. As more and more clinical data surfaces, it suggests patients with mild or severe cytokine storms are at greater risk of failing fatally and hence these cytokine storms should be targets for treatment in salvaging COVID-19 patients.