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The immunology and immunopathology of COVID-19
Miriam Merad1, Catherine A Blish2, Federica Sallusto3,4
1Precision Immunology Institute, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Abstract:
Considerable research effort has been made worldwide to decipher the immune response triggered upon severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections, identify the drivers of severe and fatal COVID-19, and understand what leads to the prolongation of symptoms after disease resolution. We review the results of almost 2 years of COVID-19 immunology research and discuss definitive findings and remaining questions regarding our understanding of COVID-19 pathophysiology. We discuss emerging understanding of differences in immune responses seen in those with and without Long Covid syndrome, also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2. We hope that the knowledge gained from this COVID-19 research will be applied in studies of inflammatory processes involved in critical and chronic illnesses, which remain a major unmet need.
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