Older people and those with preexisting health problems are more likely to develop severe novel coronavirus COVID-19 cases.
But infants can become seriously infected, and young, otherwise healthy adults have been hospitalized and died from complications, too.
Now, new research suggests a 'cytokine storm' is what triggers coronavirus cases to escalate from mild to severe.
According to Business Insider, a cytokine storm is an aggressive immune response that prompts white blood cells to attack healthy lung tissue.
Japanese immunologists recently determined that cytokine storms can lead to ARDS, a life-threatening lung injury, in coronavirus patients.
Knowing when and how to block them could be critical to preventing coronavirus deaths.