Modulation of Covid-19 cytokine storm by tocilizumab

Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is the illness caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, first identified in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a global pandemic. The objective of this study is to determine the role of interleukin (IL) inhibitors in the treatment of Covid-19. By the majority of the reported clinical studies, the use of tocilizumab in Covid-19 infection appears promising in specific cases of the cytokine storm. Conflicting results prevent the recommendation of IL inhibitors against Covid-19 infection by many health organizations. However, many low-case fatality rate countries, with more advanced therapeutic approaches, uniformly include the use of tocilizumab in case of cytokine storms in addition to the standard treatment for severe cases which includes antivirals. Neglecting the other components is likely an explanation for the contradictory results found in the literature.