Abstract
Corona virus SARS-CoV-2 has already spread around the whole world and is currently, with no vaccine available yet, unstoppable. As per today, COVID-19 affects more than 3,000,000 confirmed patients globally. First line medications are antiviral drugs and multiple urgent clinical trials are under way. However, a recent clinical trial testing the HIV protease inhibitor combination lopinavir and ritonavir showed no significant antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in patients with severe disease (1). As long as we do not have specific antiviral therapies against SARS-CoV-2, we need to provide supportive symptomatic therapies to prevent pulmonary failure, the most common cause of COVID-19 mortality.
Highlights
Corona virus SARS-CoV-2 has already spread around the whole world and is currently, with no vaccine available yet, unstoppable
Lung surfactant production is insufficient with poor blood oxygenation and high alveolar surface tension leading to increased inflammatory reaction
Natural lung surfactants are a mixture of lipids (90%) and surfactant proteins (10%) which regulate the activity of alveolar macrophages and reduce inflammation
Summary
Corona virus SARS-CoV-2 has already spread around the whole world and is currently, with no vaccine available yet, unstoppable. Through their production of the protective lung surfactant, type II alveolar cells reduce the lung surface tension and facilitate breathing and gas exchange, and in addition, are central for repair processes after trauma [5] (Figure 1). Damage to type II alveolar cells drastically reduces pulmonary surfactant production and secretion to the alveolar space.
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