COVID-19-Driven Immunoparalysis and Cytokine Storm: Can Hematologists Contribute to the Battle?

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemia is a major health emergency causing hundreds of deaths worldwide. The high reported morbidity has been related to derangement of the immune system, cytokine overproduction and endothelial dysfunction. Several drugs currently marketed for blood disorders are being tested for potential clinical benefit in patients with COVID-19 and hematologists are valuable partners for multidisciplinary research projects assessing host-targeted therapies. This review attempts to highlight the pathogenesis of lymphopenia in COVID-19 disease and the possible treatment pathways. While discussing the pattern of cytokine hyperproduction, we also focused on anti-cytokine drugs being tested for COVID-19 disease but currently prescribed for blood disorders.