Pathophysiology of COVID-19: Mechanisms Underlying Disease Severity and Progression

Overview

Journal Physiology (Bethesda)

Specialty Physiology

Date 2020 Aug 14

PMID 32783610

Citations 132

Authors

Mary Kathryn Bohn

Alexandra Hall

Lusia Sepiashvili

Benjamin Jung

Shannon Steele

Khosrow Adeli

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The global epidemiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) suggests a wide spectrum of clinical severity, ranging from asymptomatic to fatal. Although the clinical and laboratory characteristics of COVID-19 patients have been well characterized, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying disease severity and progression remain unclear. This review highlights key mechanisms that have been proposed to contribute to COVID-19 progression from viral entry to multisystem organ failure, as well as the central role of the immune response in successful viral clearance or progression to death.

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