CYTOKINE STROM FOR COVID PATIENTS

-V. VIDHYA , Assistant Professor, Department of MBA, SANSAC

Today we all know that world has going on second surge of Covid 19 where the cases are rising up high as well as the demand for O2 for the infected patients are also going up in a higher peak. So we all know that when Covid 19 virus infects it will be affecting our Respiratory system and the lungs gets damaged due to the inflammations. But blood O2 level also goes down during this problem. What can be the Medical science behind this? We think it’s the VIRUS that suppress our cells and destroy the blood O2, but the secret information is our cell is the enemy to our body.

To understand this concept we need to deeply study the IMMUNOLOGY of our body while virus attacks our cells.

Immunology behind the Virus attack:

Covid virus enters into our body and our immune system has an ability to respond to various microorganisms hence once the virus invades us our immune system produces various antibodies to attack the virus. Most virus cells will be same in shape and size like that of our own human cell so it becomes easy for the virus to enter into our body cell and uses the proteins and minerals to multiply and form a colony.

Any viral fever will lasts for 3 to 4 days. Likewise Covid 19 fever will last for 3 to 4 days and our immune system fights with the virus and kills it not more than 5 days. After the death of the Covid virus our immune systems assumes our own cells as the foreign body and attacks them. This makes the lung infection more severe and the cells are get damaged whereby increase the requirement of O2 artificially to the lungs. This concept in Medical Science is called as CYTOKINE STROM.

Cytokine Strom

Cytokines are produced by immune cells that causes acute respiratory distress and is the major cause of the death in the Covid 19 patients. The “cytokine storm” results from a sudden increase in circulating levels of different pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, IL-1, TNF-α, and interferon, which has destructive effects on human tissue. The elevated level of IL 6 may be the first indication that the patient is at the risk of Cytokine storm attack and respiratory infections.

Recent studies have found out that critical period of 5-7 days exist between the time of Covid 19 diagnosis and Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. In most cases about 80% of patients tend to improve after the infection, 18% of patients will experience severe pneumonia and approximately 2% patients ultimately succumb to Virus.

To treat the cytokine storm in Covid patients researchers have recommended that immunotherapy is administered at the time of cytokine storm diagnosis. The early detection of cytokine storm can help the Doctors to assess the patient’s condition and can treat them accordingly

Conclusion

Whole world is in the clutches of this virus, but we should also remember that our own immune system is the one that fights this virus and elevates the cytokines to destroy our own cells. We need to have good immune system, in turn good food will induce good immune system.