Immunology in COVID-19

Abstract

So far, no effective vaccines or medicines have been licensed to prevent or treat the virus's rapid and global spread, urgent research is required to find preventative and therapeutic medicines. Treatments that target the immunopathology of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been a key focus in this respect. While a fast and well-coordinated immune response is the first line of defense against viral infection, an overly inflammatory innate response and a weakened adaptive host immunological response can cause tissue damage both at the site of virus entry and at the systemic level. Several investigations have identified significant alterations in the innate and adaptive immune systems in COVID-infected people. The enormous production of cytokines and chemokines, known as a "cytokine storm," plainly shows an uncontrolled dysregulation of the host immunological response. Although the idea of preventing cytokine storms is appealing, one important drawback is the lack of knowledge about the immunological signaling pathways triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection. The discovery of altered signaling pathways during viral infections may aid in the deciphering of the most important molecular cascades involved in biological processes driving viral infections, as well as the identification of key molecular actors that might be targeted. Given the immune system's central involvement in COVID-19, a better understanding of the mechanism behind immunological dysregulation might lead to better therapeutic care of severe instances and the prevention of the disease's progression from moderate to severe. COVID-19 and supportive therapy remain the current standard of care. Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 infection, immunology, coronavirus illness 2019.