The similarities between severe COVID-19 infection and acute radiation syndrome: Literature review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has been going on for more than a year. COVID-19 causes asymptomatic infection, severe infection, until death. Diagnosis of COVID-19 infection is made by blood tests, antigen swabs, PCR, as well as radiology and CT-scan examinations. Severe COVID-19 infection shows similar symptoms to acute radiation injury. The paper aims to describe the similarity of severe infection COVID-19 and syndrome of acute radiation injury. This paper is a literature review. Literature was searched in the Science Direct and PubMed databases. The keywords were severe COVID-19 infection, acute radiation syndrome, similarity. The similarities between the pathophysiology of severe COVID-19 infection and acute radiation injury are cytokine storms. Symptoms of severe COVID-19 infection are acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), hypoxia, and damage to the cardiovascular system. Researchers are trying to look for symptoms similar to this severe COVID-19 infection so they can find better prevention and therapeutic measures. Study of biological radiation has shown complex organ failure after exposure to high doses of radiation. This condition is called the acute radiation syndrome (ARS). Severe inflammation accompanied by cytokine storms causes severe symptoms of COVID-19 or ARS infection. ARS is diagnosed with a variety of biomarkers of radiation exposure. The similarity of symptoms and pathophysiology may be used to plan better treatment for patients with severe COVID-19 infection in the future. The treatment would be the same.