COVID-19 is a devastating disease, and the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions are especially at risk. But why is it that some seemingly healthy people also get so sick that they have to be put on a ventilator? The answer may lie in our immune system. This week on Beyond the Abstract, Ellen and Derek explore a new paper that begins to investigate how differences in our immune response to the coronavirus explain why some people get so sick while others do not. Amazingly, they found a key player that causes immune dysregulation and a drug to stop it. Listen as they talk about the implications of this work as well as perhaps the first signs of quarantine insanity...

Giamarellos-Bourboulis et al. Complex immune dysregulation in COVID-19 patients with severe respiratory failure. Cell Host and Microbe, April 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2020.04.009. PMID: 32320677.

The information presented here is not medical advice. Please follow all guidelines from the CDC in regards to social distancing. Consult your physician on any questions regarding your personal health.