Abstract:
The coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic has elicited a swift response by
the scientific community to elucidate the pathogenesis of severe acute respiratory
syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2-|nduced lung injury and develop effective
therapeutics. Clinical data indicate that severe COVID-19 most commonly manifests as
viral pneumonia-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a clinical entity
mechanistically understood best in the context of influenza A virus-induced pneumonia.
Similar to influenza, advanced age has emerged as the leading host risk factor for
developing severe COVID-19. ln this review we connect the current understanding of the
SARS-CoV-2 replication cycle and host response to the clinical presentation of COVID-19,
borrowing concepts from influenza A virus-induced ARDS pathogenesis and discussing
how these ideas inform our evolving understanding of COVID-19-induced ARDS.
