Studies have shown that continuous elevated levels of cytokines can lead to multiple organ dysfunction and viral sepsis. As a result, regulation of cytokine levels may be critical in both treatment and prevention.

Smith College

Severe cases of COVID-19 tend to exhibit a “cytokine storm”, which is an extreme increase in certain inflammatory cytokines. While patients with non-severe COVID-19 have an upregulated level of some of the same cytokines, the amount and diversity of cytokines are much less than that of severe cases. 

Increased Production of Cytokines in COVID-19 Patients 

Yang, Li, et al. “COVID-19: Immunopathogenesis and Immunotherapeutics.” Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, vol. 5, no. 1, 2020, doi:10.1038/s41392-020-00243-2.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-020-00243-2

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