Are superantigens the cause of cytokine storm and viral sepsis in severe COVID-19? Observations and hypothesis. Scandinavian journal of immunology 92(6): e12944

Right now the world is going through an unprecedented pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus. Recent papers pointed out the fatal outcome in most of the severe cases, in which a cytokine storm has been proven to be the cause of a systemic shock, acute respiratory syndrome, multiorgan failure and consequently death. Several explanations have been proposed trying to explain the pathophysiology of the cytokine storm, but viral proteins with a possible superantigen activity as a cause of immune dysregulation have not been addressed. If this hypothesis is proven, a different treatment approach might change the outcome in severe cases.
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news