Open AccessPathophysiology of COVID-19: Mechanisms Underlying Disease Severity and Progression
Author(s) -
Mary Kathryn Bohn,
Alexandra Hall,
Lusia Sepiashvili,
Benjamin Jung,
Shan Steele,
Khosrow Adeli
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.14
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1548-9213
pISSN - 1548-9221
DOI - 10.1152/physiol.00019.2020
Subject(s) - asymptomatic , pathophysiology , disease , covid-19 , medicine , coronavirus , immune system , immunology , epidemiology , virology , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , outbreak
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.