%A Ragab,Dina %A Salah Eldin,Haitham %A Taeimah,Mohamed %A Khattab,Rasha %A Salem,Ramy %D 2020 %J Frontiers in Immunology %C %F %G English %K COVID-19,cytokine,storm,ARDS,IL-6 %Q %R 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01446 %W %L %M %P %7 %8 2020-June-16 %9 Review %# %! The COVID-19 cytokine storm %* %< %T The COVID-19 Cytokine Storm; What We Know So Far %U https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.01446 %V 11 %0 JOURNAL ARTICLE %@ 1664-3224 %X COVID-19 is a rapidly spreading global threat that has been declared as a pandemic by the WHO. COVID-19 is transmitted via droplets or direct contact and infects the respiratory tract resulting in pneumonia in most of the cases and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in about 15 % of the cases. Mortality in COVID-19 patients has been linked to the presence of the so-called “cytokine storm” induced by the virus. Excessive production of proinflammatory cytokines leads to ARDS aggravation and widespread tissue damage resulting in multi-organ failure and death. Targeting cytokines during the management of COVID-19 patients could improve survival rates and reduce mortality.